Masked in Snow
by Jaystripe
Summary: Newleaf should have come. But it's still snowing, and it won't stop. While three Clans struggle to survive in the absence of newleaf, the fourth seems to be growing, but not for the better. They only want control, and they will stop at nothing to get it.
1. Allegiances & Prologue

**Allegiances**

**LEAFCLAN**

LEADER Spottedstar- light gray tom with darker flecks and fur that sticks out at all

angles, blue eyes

Apprentice, Brackenpaw

DEPUTY Nightclaw- jet black she-cat, amber eyes

MEDICINE CAT Rosefur- brown tabby she-cat, green eyes

WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)

Rushfoot- sandy-gray tabby tom, yellow eyes

Birchclaw- golden-brown tom, amber eyes, father of Finchkit and Tumblekit

Foxtail- reddish tabby tom, amber eyes

Littlewing- small tortoiseshell she-cat, green eyes

Apprentice, Driftpaw

Thrushfeather- dark-brown-and-white she-cat, amber eyes

Mossfoot- gray-and-white she-cat, blue eyes

Silverwind- silver tabby tom, blue eyes

Hazelberry- pale ginger she-cat, green eyes

Apprentice, Dustpaw

Flamefoot- dark ginger tabby tom, green eyes

Apprentice, Graypaw

Darkfrost- black tom with a white tail-tip and ice-blue eyes, father of Frostkit and Sprucekit

Apprentice, Heatherpaw

Badgerpelt- large black-and-white tom, amber eyes

Apprentice, Pinepaw

Sunheart- bright ginger tabby she-cat, yellow eyes

Mothwhisker- mottled dark brown tabby she-cat, green eyes

Sandfur- orange tabby tom with a distinctive white chest and paws, green eyes

Appleflower- dark brown she-cat with a cream-colored underbelly and paws, pale gold eyes

Apprentice, Cloudpaw

APPRENTICES (more than six moons old, in training to

become warriors)

Brackenpaw- extemely dark brown tom with an almost black face and a white tail-tip, ice-blue eyes

Driftpaw- long-furred brown tabby she-cat with a white chest, blue eyes

Graypaw- gray-brown tom with one dark gray ear, amber eyes

Pinepaw- brown tom with large dark brown dapples and a distinctive spotted belly, dark green eyes

Heatherpaw- golden she-cat tinged with ginger, amber eyes

Dustpaw - light brown tabby tom, amber eyes

Cloudpaw- white she-cat with gray-tipped fur, pale green eyes

QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

Dawnfrost- long-haired, dark red she-cat with a long, plumy tail and green eyes, mother of Birchclaw's kits: Finchkit (tabby-and-white she-cat, blue eyes) and Tumblekit (black-and-brown tom, amber eyes)

Feathersong- pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with a dappled coat and a white chest, underbelly, and tail-tip, yellow eyes, mother of Darkfrost's kits: Frostkit (white tom, blue eyes) and Sprucekit (pale brown tabby tom, green eyes)

Honeyflower- beautiful golden tabby she-cat, expecting Rushfoot's kits

Cloverfrost- pale gray she-cat, amber eyes, mother of Spottedstar's kits: Smokykit (black and white tom with gray-tipped fur, amber eyes), Stormkit (flecked dark gray tom with spiky fur, amber eyes), and Cinderkit (dark gray she-cat with white flash on chest and one black paw, bright blue eyes)

E LDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)

Rowantail- very old dark brown tom, green eyes

Russetcloud- pale ginger she-cat with darker stripes, yellow-orange, slightly amber, eyes

Thistlestripe- pale tabby she-cat with spiky fur, retired early due to becoming blind in battle, blue eyes (now completely clouded)

**STREAMCLAN**

LEADER Meadowstar- brown-and-tortoiseshell she-cat, deep amber eyes

DEPUTY Hawktalon- small brown tabby tom, green eyes

MEDICINE CAT Fuzzyfeather- long-haired pale gray tom, amber eyes

WARRIORS Voleclaw- dark brown tom with a white underbelly and paws, blue eyes

Apprentice, Swamppaw (mottled brown tabby tom, green eyes)

Snakestrike- silvery-gray tabby tom, blue eyes

Splashfoot- pitch-black tom with one white paw, amber eyes

Apprentice, Wetpaw (silver she-cat, blue eyes)

Whitecloud- long-furred white she-cat, green eyes

Willowtail- light brown she-cat, yellow eyes

Apprentice, Molepaw (dark gray, almost black, tom with a white underbelly, amber eyes)

Shadefur- beautiful smoky gray she-cat, amber eyes

Poppybrook- black tabby she-cat, yellow-orange eyes

Apprentice, Marshpaw (dark gray she-cat with a white tail-tip, green eyes)

Emberstep- red-brown tom with darker paws, amber eyes

Mudwhisker- mottled dark brown tom, hazel eyes

Nettleclaw- black she-cat, green eyes

Hailstorm- thick-furred dark gray tom with white tail-tip, blue eyes

QUEENS Icefoot- small, pure white she-cat, blue eyes, mother of Whitekit

Amberflight- long-legged orange tabby she-cat with startlingly large amber eyes

E LDERS Darkpearl- brown she-cat with white-tipped fur, amber eyes, former loner called Pearl

**BREEZECLAN**

LEADER Robinstar- light brown tom with a white chest and paws, green eyes

DEPUTY Windsong- blue-gray she-cat, amber eyes

MEDICINE CAT Brightleaf- very pale gray, almost white, she-cat with dark blue eyes

WARRIORS Birdfeather- small, gray tabby she-cat, blue eyes

Snowsky- very pale gray, almost white, she-cat with a lightly speckled face, pale blue eyes

Ravenpelt- black tom with a white chest and tail-tip, hazel eyes

Smokefur- long-haired gray tom, amber eyes

Brokenclaw- gray-brown tabby tom, no claws on front paws due to a fox trap, amber eyes

Dewflower- mottled silver tabby she-cat, blue eyes

Apprentice, Mosspaw (pale brown she-cat, green eyes)

Thornscar- heavily scarred golden-brown tom with a torn ear, green eyes

Apprentice, Gladepaw (large blue-gray tom, strikingly bright green eyes)

Starlingflight- red-brown tom, green eyes

Aspenheart- pale gray tabby she-cat, blue eyes

Apprentice, Rubblepaw (gray tom, amber eyes)

Sedgefur- dark brown tabby tom, gray-blue eyes

Fernwhisker- tabby-and-white she-cat, amber eyes

Sootclaw- dark gray tom, amber eyes

QUEENS Mousefoot- very pale gray she-cat, amber eyes, mother of Sagekit, Swiftkit, and Shrewkit

Patchtail- dark she-cat with a black-and-white tail, green eyes, mother of Beetlekit and Weedkit

**STONECLAN**

LEADER Duststar- elderly brown tabby tom, green eyes

Apprentice, Seedpaw (brown-and-gray she-cat with a dappled face, pale blue eyes)

DEPUTY Eagleclaw- pale gray tom with black stripes, amber eyes

Apprentice, Wolfpaw (mottled silvery-gray tabby she-cat with a white tail-tip, underbelly, and chest, pale blue eyes)

MEDICINE CAT Goldenfur- magnificent golden tabby tom, dark green eyes

Apprentice, Berrypaw (mottled pale ginger tabby tom, amber eyes)

WARRIORS Wildstripe- silver-and-black tabby tom with messy, matted fur, deep amber eyes

Apprentice, Redpaw (reddish tabby tom, pale yellow eyes)

Pebbletooth- gray tom with a darker chest and belly, blue eyes

Apprentice, Thunderpaw (large dark gray tom with a white streak on chest, yellow eyes)

Bluemask- large blue-gray mottled tabby tom with a darker face, extremely bright blue eyes

Apprentice, Fawnpaw (pretty soft brown tabby she-cat with a white tail-tip, amber eyes)

Puddlelizard- white she-cat with splotches of tan, cream, gray, and ginger, blue eyes

Runningbrook- pale gray she-cat with darker stripes, amber eyes

Scorcholive- gray tom with torn black ears, yellow eyes

Apprentice, Troutpaw (mottled gray tom, blue eyes)

Sparrowflight- light brown tom, hazel eyes

Apprentice, Oatpaw (dappled brown tom, orange eyes)

Mintfur- dark tortoiseshell she-cat, green eyes

Apprentice, Rainpaw (flecked silvery-gray she-cat, blue eyes)

Crownest- black tom with a white underbelly, yellow eyes

Rippleheart- pale silver she-cat with black flecks, blue eyes

Apprentice, Quickpaw (bright ginger tabby she-cat, dark green eyes)

Sheepthroat- tabby tom with fluffy white fur on throat, amber eyes

Apprentice, Logpaw (dark brown tom, green eyes)

Smallfoot- small tabby tom, green eyes

Apprentice, Brownpaw (brown tabby tom, amber eyes)

Ratnose- black tom with a scarred face, amber eyes

Apprentice, Fogpaw (pale gray she-cat with darker stripes, amber eyes)

Ivybuzzard- tawny colored she-cat, green eyes

Apprentice, Lakepaw (dark gray, almost black, tom with a white chest, underbelly, and tail-tip, bright blue-green eyes)

Daisycloud- pretty golden tabby she-cat, amber eyes

Apprentice, Larchpaw (small black she-cat with one lighter ear, green eyes)

Twigpelt- lanky brown tom with very short fur, yellow eyes

Apprentice, Tinypaw (undersized pale gray tabby she-cat, blue eyes)

QUEENS Lightflower- snow-white she-cat, blue eyes, mother of Petalkit and Grasskit

Dapplefire- speckled brown she-cat, amber eyes, mother of Rockkit, Shadowkit, and Acornkit

Brightdawn- pale ginger she-cat with white splotches, blue eyes

E LDERS Stonewater- battle-scarred tabby tom, green eyes

Whitepool- very old white she-cat, green eyes

_****PROLOGUE****_

A light snow fell from the sky. It is was unusual, for it was almost newleaf, and the flecked gray tom sitting in the clearing was worried. If newleaf began with snow, would greenleaf ever come? He sighed; as if he didn't have enough worries, what with a quarter of the Clan ill with whitecough or colds. Although he was young, the leader of LeafClan couldn't help but feel as if a mountainous burden had fallen upon his broad shoulders.

As he stared up at the sky, an older brown she-cat padded toward him from a wide tunnel that was set into the gentle slope of the camp. Her paw steps were quick and soundless on the frosty ground.

"You are worried," she grunted, sweeping away the thin covering of snow on the ground and settling beside the tom.

The leader glanced at her. How could she know what he was feeling? But she was a medicine cat; she was blessed with these kinds of things. "Yes, Rosefur," he said quietly. There was no point in hiding his feelings. "It is almost newleaf; the leaves on the trees should be growing back, yet snow is piling up on the branches instead. At this rate, greenleaf will never arrive. I feel so lost, without Graystar to guide me. And the battles with StreamClan over Willowcreek," he added. "When will they stop? Ashclaw and Oakpaw died of their injuries, and my own sister had to join the elders because a StreamClan warrior blinded her with his claws!" As he spoke, the breeze picked up and blew heavy snow right into the two cats' faces. Rosefur spat with disgust and drew a paw over her wet face, but the tom simply sat there and allowed the snow to blow across his muzzle and his ears. It was if he was oblivious to the white droplets that clung to his fur.

Rosefur moved closer to him and began to lick his pelt. She felt him relax under her touch. She sighed inwardly; Spottedstar was so young, he shouldn't have to deal with such things. Her heart clenched with sorrow as she clearly saw, almost like it had been that day, Spottedstar's deputy naming ceremony.

Old Graystar had looked down at the Clan cats gathered around the Crookedtree, the thin, spindly, but strong little tree that leaders perched on to share news with the Clan. Graystar had just gotten back from the Silverfall, where he had received his nine lives.

"LeafClan," he had boomed in his authoritative voice. "I say these words so that our former leader, Morningstar, and the rest of StarClan may hear and approve my choice. The cat that I have chosen has constantly shown unwavering loyalty to LeafClan and great intelligence. My former apprentice, Spottedfeather, will be the next deputy of LeafClan."

Young Spottedfeather had padded forward, his ever-spiky fur sticking out at all angles as usual. "Thank you for this honor." His mew had been quiet but filled with confidence, his eyes gleaming with surprise and joy at being chosen as deputy. "I will always try my hardest to defend this Clan and help make the best choices I can."

Then, only two moons later, sickness had struck Graystar. A strange lump had begun to form at the base of his throat, growing and growing. The leader had been quite old when he had received his nine lives, and did not have enough strength to beat the illness. Rosefur had no cure, and soon the poor tomcat had been flailing his paws and thrashing wildly in pain, no longer able to breathe. The Clan could only wait, every single cats' eyes filled with horror, as their leader lost a life every day until he died. Spottedstar had been only been deputy for about three moons, and he had been grief-stricken by his former mentor's and leader's death.

Now, Rosefur saw no trace of the young tom's confidence that she had seen on the day he had become deputy. _He has only been leader for two moons, and he is already feeling the stress of a very old one, _she thought sympathetically.

Suddenly, Spottedstar shook himself, as if jolting himself out of thoughts. "Look at me, feeling pity for myself," he mewed, trying to sound lighthearted but failing miserably. "Graystar would not be proud of me," he murmured, his voice filled with sorrow.

Rosefur pulled away and rose to her paws, shaking out her fur. "Spottedstar," she said sternly. "Graystar will always be proud of you. It is not your fault that it's snowing in newleaf! And StreamClan is to blame for the battles, not you. They are the ones who are constantly crossing our border, hunting there and stealing herbs." Rosefur hesitated. "Spottedstar, I do not wish to make you more upset, but Mossfoot and Sandfur have greencough."

The tom turned to stare at her, his eyes wide. "What?" he whispered in disbelief. "Even though it's snowing, they should almost be better by now."

Rosefur shook her head slowly. "The cold weather pushed them past the symptoms of whitecough. The snow and wind aren't helping, either. And we have few herbs."

Spottedstar sighed, but it could not be heard over the wind that was quickly picking up speed. "I can only hope that StarClan will hear our prayers," he meowed. "Rosefur, if it comes to it, then you may ask BreezeClan for catmint. Our Clanmates' health is more important than our pride. Goodnight." With that, he rose to his paws and walked back toward his den, disappearing inside with a flick of his tail. Rosefur trotted back through the tunnel that led down into the medicine den; she had sick cats to care for.

Far off, not a single cat in the camp heard the loud rustling of undergrowth in the forest as a small group of cats struggled through LeafClan's territory in the quickly forming blizzard.

* * *

><p>"This is ridiculous," a black tom spat, shaking the snow off one paw. "It should be newleaf. Why are we going to LeafClan anyway?"<p>

"Because," groaned a she-cat, her belly round and swollen with kits. "You know, Crownest, that they are the only Clan that will take us in. BreezeClan despises StoneClan, as does StreamClan. We haven't had any issues with LeafClan for many moons. They are our only hope." She struggled through the snow that was almost up to her belly now, plunging into the fluffy whiteness with each step she took.

Crownest's eyes softened. "I know, darling," he meowed, swiping his tongue over her ear. "Don't worry, we'll get there soon enough. Then you can rest."

Beside them, a tawny she-cat, a calico she-cat, and a brown speckled she-cat waded over the ground, each one with a tiny kit gripped in their jaws. The kits hung as limp as fresh-kill, occasionally whimpering pitifully as snow and ice blew across their faces.

A dark tom, smaller than the others, appeared beside the rest. An even smaller she-cat with pale tabby markings was leaning on his shoulder, her flanks heaving in exhaustion and her eyes half-closed as she sank into the snow chest-deep with each step. "Please," begged the dark tom. "Tinypaw is so tired, and her paws are raw from the snow. Can't we find a place to stay for the night?"

Crownest grunted. "There is no place to rest in this StarClan forsaken forest." But the warrior stopped for a moment, as did the others, and squinted as he tried to look through the snow. The other cats could only wait, shivering, as Crownest swept his sharp, narrowed gaze around their surroundings, which were blanketed with snow. The tiniest light of hope entered Crownest's gaze, and he set off at a faster pace. "I think there's a hollow tree over here!" he called over his shoulder.

The cats stumbled even faster through the snow, and before long the small opening at the base of a large pine tree appeared. Crownest waited at the entrance and nudged the pregnant she-cat inside. Then he entered, with the other three she-cats gripping kits following. The dark tom also squeezed inside. The hollow was actually very spacious inside, and extremely warm compared to outside; Crownest must not have seen how large the base of the tree was through the blinding force of the blizzard. Already, Crownest was curling up around his mate, softly swiping his black tail across her swollen stomach. The three she-cats huddled around the three kits, licking them to warm them up. Then the dark tom turned, waiting for his sister, Tinypaw, to enter as well. But she didn't appear, and the tom crept toward the entrance, unable to see her. His heart clenched with fear. He should have let Tinypaw go first rather than abandoning her.

As he peered through the driving snow and hail, he just made out a pale tabby tuft of fur sticking above a snowdrift easily taller than he was. She must have fallen into the drift and been unable to get out. He gasped, and bunched his muscles, ready to leap out and save his sister, only to feel a tail on his flank. He blinked with surprise to see Crownest beside him. "What's wrong, Lakepaw?" he meowed frowning. "And where's Tinypaw?"

Lakepaw could only stare outside, and understanding dawned on Crownest's face. He immediately flew back into the storm and struggled toward the snowdrift, and Lakepaw scrambled to join him.

When they reached the snowdrift, the tuft of fur was gone. The two toms plunged their paws into the frozen snow, not bothering to wince as hard hail pounded down on their pelts. Finally, Lakepaw felt cold fur beneath his paws, and he dug more furiously. Tinypaw's body began to appear, and Crownest reached down, gripping the scruff of her neck in his mouth. He grunted with the effort of heaving her out of the snow, and Lakepaw helped to support her small body as they slowly made their way back toward the tree. Her raw, bloody paws left a scarlet trail as they dragged her into the tree hollow.

Crownest gently set her down on her paws, and Lakepaw was surprised to see that she was conscious. She staggered to the side a bit and Lakepaw supported her. The small apprentice looked at Crownest and her brother with bleary eyes, and suddenly she opened her mouth as if to cough only for nothing to come out. A horrible choking noise erupted from her abruptly, and her eyes rolled back. She slumped to the ground, so motionless she could have been dead.

Lakepaw could only stare in horror at his sister's limp body as Crownest pressed down on her chest firmly with one paw and rubbed her back with the other. Water trickled from her slightly parted jaws, but she remained still. Lakepaw realized that she must have been choked by snow when she had been buried in the drift and entered her lungs somehow.

_She's drowning from the inside,_ he thought frantically.

As Crownest continued to work, Lakepaw thought he saw Tinypaw's eyes flutter gently. Suddenly, she rolled onto her stomach and vomited up huge amounts of water. The flow of water petered out, and Tinypaw let out a quiet sigh before she went limp again, her head rolling to the side. Lakepaw sighed with relief as he saw her flanks rising and falling a bit unsteadily, but she was breathing nonetheless.

"She'll be fine," Crownest murmured, picking her up again and settling her beside his mate. The pregnant she-cat looked at the apprentice with worried eyes before pressing herself against Tinypaw. Lakepaw and Crownest did the same.

As Lakepaw drifted into sleep, he felt the rest of their group crowding around Tinypaw in an attempt to keep the wet apprentice warm. He felt touched by their loyalty to his sister, and it was the last thing he thought about before drifting into sleep.

Outside, the snow continued to fall, and the wind howled like countless wolves.

**Sorry, I know this wasn't the most exciting beginning to a story. But it will get more exciting. I hope.**

**Wow, wind howling like countless wolves….yes, there are wolves in this story. So the Clan cats do know what wolves are.**

**If you didn't really understand the second part, basically some StoneClan cats are traveling to LeafClan because they think it is the only Clan where they can seek refuge. You will find out why they are leaving later in the story. Why spoil it for you guys?**

**And thanks a bunch to Vidi0Vidi0Vici and forever banishing sorrow for letting me know that list format chapters aren't allowed, and for being my first reviewers! That is why the Allegiances and Prologue are joined. Hopefully Chapter 1 will be here this week sometime :)**

**And see that pretty REVIEW button down there? Please click it. I would like your critique; it lets me know if I'm doing anything right or if I'm doing everything wrong (which I probably would). You didn't think that that button was there for fun, did you? :D**


	2. Chapter 1

**Well, here is Chapter 1 everyone! Wow. Say "Chapter 1 everyone" out loud and it just sounds weird. **

The brown dappled tom dashed wildly through the forest, enjoying the way the frost crackled under his paws and the softly falling tiny snowflakes brushed his pelt as they floated onto the ground, where they immediately melted. After weaving between a close knot of pine trees, he reached the wide stream that was the LeafClan border with StreamClan. It was called Willowcreek because of the tall, sweeping willow trees on LeafClan's side of the border. Some of the long, slender branches even trailed in the water, and the tom often wondered how the current of the swiftly flowing stream didn't wash away such skinny limbs.

He heard distant crackling from the forest. His eyes danced with excitement as he shimmied up one of the willow trees and crouched down on a low branch, his dark pelt blending in perfectly with the bark. Suddenly, a large black and white tom erupted out of the forest. He peered around suspiciously with narrowed amber eyes before padding closer to the stream, right under the willow tree that the tom was crouching on.

He tensed his muscles and leaped down. "Surprise attack!" he yowled, bowling the large tom over with the force of his leap. They lay on the ground, side by side, panting. Then the dappled tom looked over at the other tom and burst out laughing. They rose to their paws, both of them laughing now.

"Pinepaw," scolded the black and white tom. "We're supposed to be on a hunting patrol. You probably scared away all the prey between here and StoneClan with that yowl." The amusement in his eyes showed that he wasn't really angry.

"But I _was_ hunting, Badgerpelt," he meowed innocently. "I was just hunting a different sort of prey: you."

Badgerpelt rolled his eyes. "Alright. Now, what can you scent?"

Pinepaw tasted the air, letting the scents of the forest flood over his mouth. The mix of smells easily organized itself in Pinepaw's mind, and he named them aloud. "Pine needles and sap," he mewed, flicking his tail to the clump of pines nearby. "Ferns." He nodded at the dry, brittle plant opposite the pines, which were not faring well in the cold. "I'm pretty sure I can smell the snow, and the frost. It's almost like a cold, airy scent." He looked at Badgerpelt for confirmation, but his mentor simply stared at him, his face unreadable. "There's a mouse near the ferns, a squirrel up a tree in that direction, and a blackbird behind those bushes." He pointed out each place before turning to Badgerpelt again.

The large tom was beaming. "Excellent," he purred warmly. "And you've only been an apprentice for a quarter moon."

Pinepaw's fur prickled with pride. "I'll go catch the squirrel!" he meowed excitedly, dashing away. He heard Badgerpelt's irritated grumble as he ran off, but he didn't care. Badgerpelt wasn't easily angered. When he reached the tall tree that he was sure the squirrel was in, he scaled the tree and crept up onto a branch just below it. The squirrel was eating something, completely oblivious to its certain death.

Pinepaw crept farther out onto the thick, sturdy branch, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He would jump up and grab the squirrel, then land back on the branch. It was risky, but he had better balance than most cats.

The brown tom froze directly underneath the squirrel, and then tensed. He pushed off the branch with his strong hind legs and reached with his forepaws, just gripping the top of the squirrel's branch. Before the creature could react, Pinepaw pulled himself up farther onto the branch and fastened his fangs in the squirrel's back. He heard a snap, and his prey went limp in his jaws. The apprentice landed back on his own branch without stumbling, and quickly shot down the tree with the fresh-kill in his jaws.

He purred with happiness at his impressive catch as he buried it, seeing that it was actually a very large squirrel. While he wondered if he should return to his mentor, he heard a rustling in the frosty undergrowth.

_It must be Badgerpelt!_ he thought gleefully. _Maybe I can show him my squirrel._

Pinepaw opened his mouth to call out to his mentor, only to see the glint of unfamiliar bright blue-green eyes staring at him. "Who's there?" he growled menacingly, fluffing out his fur.

A dark gray, almost black tom padded out, casting wary glances around him. "Are you from LeafClan?" he whispered nervously.

Pinepaw nodded slowly, tasting the tom's scent. His eyes widened. "You're StoneClan!" he snarled. "Leave or I'll chase you off!" The apprentice crouched down, ready to spring at this intruder.

The tom's eyes grew huge in his dark face. "No, please, don't," he begged. "My name is Lakepaw. We have a group of cats here, we just got here a few nights ago during the blizzard. My sister fell into a snowdrift and then she got a chill but now she's really sick and Brightdawn is going to have her kits soon, so we really need a medicine cat. And we can't go back to StoneClan, Eagleclaw is acting as leader these days and he's just so horrible. And we had to leave Wolfpaw and Seedpaw and Redpaw behind…" The tom trailed off, his mew becoming a whimper.

Pinepaw forced himself to flatten his fur. This frightened young cat was no threat, and the fear in his bright eyes was obviously real. "Come with me," he meowed shortly, setting off into the undergrowth. He glanced over his shoulder occasionally just to make sure that the tom, Lakepaw or Riverpaw or whatever his name was, kept following him. The apprentice jumped at every crackling noise, and Pinepaw's whiskers twitched with amusement. This cat was definitely from StoneClan, where they lived among boulders and pebbly grounds, without the comfort of thick foliage overhead. Pinepaw followed his own scent trail back toward Willowcreek, where he was pretty sure that Badgerpelt was probably still waiting. He was proven right as he emerged from the trees and saw Badgerpelt laying next to the creek, his eyes half-closed.

His mentor rose to his paws as Pinepaw approached, and his eyes glowed with happiness. "Welcome back, PInepaw!" he rumbled warmly. "But where's your squirrel? I can smell it on you." Suddenly, a growl came from deep in his throat. "Who is that behind you, Pinepaw?"

Pinepaw glanced over his shoulder at Lakepaw, who was hanging at the edge of the trees, obviously terrified of the large, muscular Badgerpelt. He flicked his tail , beckoning for Lakepaw to come closer. When the other apprentice halted next to him, Pinepaw could feel that he was trembling with fear. Whatever had caused him and the other group that he had talked about to come here, it must have been quite scary.

Pinepaw laid his tail gently over Lakepaw's shoulders. "I buried my squirrel, but that's not what is important. This is Lakepaw," he meowed calmly. "I met him while I was hunting. He's from StoneClan, and he said that there is a group of StoneClan cats here. They've been here since the night of the blizzard, two days ago. And he mentioned something about not being able to return to their Clan…" The dappled tom trailed off uncertainly, as he didn't know what to say.

He was surprised to hear Lakepaw suddenly speak up. He had thought that the scared apprentice would have been very flustered and tongue-tied. "P-Please sir, hear me out," he stammered. When Badgerpelt nodded, his face betraying nothing, Lakepaw nervously continued. "Duststar is -or was- a very wise leader. But now he's very old, older than our elders, and Eagleclaw, our deputy, started to act like leader when Duststar started to…well…lose his mind, I guess. But Eagleclaw isn't like Duststar; he only wants the Clan to run his way, without any other options. If you don't agree with him, then you are punished severely. And he has it into his head that if you punish apprentices, they will work harder and train better, and become more eager to learn. So he has our mentors attack us if we don't do something right, and if our mentors won't, then he will. But the clawings, as he calls them, only makes us more tired and gives us scars." Lakepaw turned to the side and used his tail to push back his fur, and Badgerpelt and Pinepaw sucked in their breath when they saw the long, thin pink scars running across his side. "And Eagleclaw could easily do the warrior ceremonies, and no one would challenge him because nobody would want Duststar to do it anyway, but Eagleclaw likes it when Duststar gives really stupid warrior names. Duststar named my mentor Ivybuzzard and her friend Crownest. We don't hate Duststar for it, we just feel bad for him that he's become so…so…different than he used to be. So we left, but we had to leave behind some of my friends, and came here. My sister Tinypaw got ill during the blizzard and Crownest's mate, Brightdawn, is very close to having kits. Please let us stay," he finished quietly.

Pinepaw looked over to Badgerpelt. The black-and-white tom meowed, "Can you bring us to the rest of your group, Lakepaw?"

The dark tom nodded and quickly loped back into the trees, with the LeafClan cats following. They wove between a few bushes and trees until they reached a tall tree with an extremely wide base. Lakepaw poked his head into a narrow opening in the base and called softly, "Crownest, Ivybuzzard, Puddlelizard! I found some LeafClan cats, come out!"

First, a thin black tom with bright yellow eyes slipped through the entrance, followed by a tawny-colored she-cat and a white she-cat with splotches of all different colors on her pelt. The black tom dipped his head to Badgerpelt. "Greetings," he meowed. "I take it that Lakepaw has explained everything to you?"

Badgerpelt nodded quickly. "Yes," he replied in his deep, smooth voice. "I believe that you are Crownest?"

"Yes," Crownest mewed, turning to the she-cats. "And this is Ivybuzzard"-he nodded to the tawny she-cat- "and this is Puddlelizard." He flicked his tail at the pretty calico she-cat. "Yes, I know, our names are horrible," he meowed, and Pinepaw was surprised to hear amusement in his voice. "Poor Duststar just can't give a proper name these days, can he?" When no one chuckled, Crownest sighed and looked down at his paws. "I was just trying to ease the mood a bit," he mewed quietly. He glanced back at the hollow in the tree. "With Tinypaw and Brightdawn so ill…" He trailed off, and Puddlelizard pressed against him comfortingly.

"Do you mind if Pinepaw and I take you all to our camp?" Badgerpelt meowed questioningly. "Then Spottedstar and the rest of the Clan can discuss what to do next. I'm Badgerpelt, by the way."

It was Ivybuzzard that replied this time. "Follow me." She whisked into the tree, and Pinepaw squeezed in after Badgerpelt. Crownest and Puddlelizard remained outside with Lakepaw. The inside was like a cave, in a way, with an arched roof of deep brown bark, and a wide floor space. Over in one corner, three she-cats lay, one curled around three tiny kits. "These LeafClan cats are here to take us to their camp," Ivybuzzard mewed gently to her companions. "They have no intention of hurting us."

Ivybuzzard beckoned them over with her tail, and Badgerpelt immediately padded toward the small tabby that could only be Tinypaw. Her eyes were half-closed, her fur matted and her frame gaunt. Badgerpelt helped her to her paws, and had to support her as they made slow progress out of the hollow. Pinepaw remembered Lakepaw saying something about how she had fallen into a snowdrift and caught a chill that had developed into a full-blown illness. Pinepaw shivered; he didn't know Tinypaw, but he hoped that she would be okay. Then he turned toward the other she-cats in the corner.

Ivybuzzard had a kit clutched in her jaws, and was helping a pregnant she-cat with an extremely swollen belly struggle to her paws. _Brightdawn_, he thought, _Crownest's mate._ Brightdawn walked awkwardly out of the hollow, as did Ivybuzzard with the kit. Pinepaw was left with a dappled brown she-cat, and he glanced at her nervously, unsure of what to do. He was surprised when she blinked kindly at him, as if sensing his uncertainty. "You can take Acornkit," she mewed in a soft voice, flicking her tail at the brown tom by her paws. "I'll take Shadowkit." She picked up the other tom, who was dark gray, and waited while Pinepaw gently picked up Acornkit by the scruff. Then they both exited the hollow, and Badgerpelt set off toward camp when he saw that everyone had emerged.

Acornkit kicked feebly in his jaws, and Pinepaw murmured soothing words to the kit, his voice muffled by Acornkit's fur. When Acornkit settled down, Pinepaw counted each StoneClan cat in the group. _Crownest, Puddlelizard, Lakepaw, Ivybuzzard, Brightdawn, Tinypaw, then the dappled queen, and the three kits…_ he thought. _That's ten cats! If we let them join the Clan, how we will ever provide for ourselves? We're already struggling because newleaf won't come. _The fur prickled along his spine. He felt that these were good cats, but he suddenly wasn't sure if they would be able to join the Clan. Spottedstar would surely take into account that LeafClan was already having enough trouble finding enough prey for all of them, let alone another ten cats.

They arrived at the tangle of boxwood, holly, and bramble bushes that was the entrance. Badgerpelt pulled back a few twigs and revealed the wide track that was set into the bushes like a tunnel. He quickly padded through, followed by the rest of the group. When they emerged into the heart of camp, enraged yowls suddenly sounded through the air, and the StoneClan cats stiffened as tension crackled through the air.

"Intruders!"

"Why is StoneClan here?"

"Badgerpelt, why did you bring them to our camp? They shouldn't be here!"

"Enough!" Spottedstar called out, springing from his den onto the Crookedtree. There was no need to call together the Clan; every single cat was gathered in the clearing to see what the commotion was about. "Badgerpelt, what reason do you have for bringing StoneClan cats into the middle of our territory?" he mewed calmly, sitting on a thick sturdy branch and wrapping his tail around his paws neatly.

Badgerpelt nudged the StoneClan cats forward, and Pinepaw carefully placed Acornkit between the brown queen's paws. She flashed him a grateful glance as she curled her tail protectively around her three kits and looked up to see what Badgerpelt would say. The large tom started from the beginning, from how Pinepaw had met Lakepaw, and everything that Lakepaw had told them about what Eagleclaw was doing in StoneClan. When he had finished explaining, a hush had settled over the crowd as they waited for Spottedstar to speak.

"Well," he meowed slowly. "It seems we have quite a predicament on our paws. You say that Eagleclaw is basically torturous toward those who oppose him?"

Crownest nodded solemnly. "He thinks it is the only way to make cats respect him."

Spottedstar frowned. "As you know, newleaf should be here, but the cold weather has driven all the prey down their burrows. We are having some trouble catching enough prey for ourselves. If you stayed, you would have to contribute, too, and you must prove your loyalty before you can truly become LeafClan cats. Is that what you wish to do?"

"Hold on a moment, Spottedstar," a voice called out from the crowd. Pinepaw recognized the voice as Birchclaw's. He was a loyal warrior, but very outspoken and opinionated. "I respect your decisions, but I really think that this is the worst time for more cats to join our Clan. I mean, how do we know it's not a trick? How do we know that the rest of their Clan isn't waiting at the border for one of these guys to go up and tell them they can come attack us?" His eyes were narrowed as he waited for the StoneClan cats' response.

Puddlelizard was bristling, and hissed at the golden brown tom. "Why would we be telling you everything that's happening in StoneClan? Why would we leave with a she-cat close to having her kits? Because everything we told you is true!" Her tail lashed back and forth. "I had to leave behind my mate, my parents, and my sister. Why else would I leave behind everyone that I love?" Her voice was trembling now, and Ivybuzzard pressed against the calico she-cat.

"We understand that LeafClan is having a hard time," she meowed evenly. "But we would help hunt for your Clan. We would aid you in anything that you need help with. But you must understand that every cat here-and no, we are no longer StoneClan- is fiercely loyal. Never accuse us of tyranny or being traitors." She flashed an angry glare at Birchclaw. "And by my whiskers, I sure hope that you will launch a raid on StoneClan. They need a lesson. And StarClan bless it, I'll lead the patrol myself." With that, she sat down, eyes blazing with a strange passion. No one spoke. Ivybuzzard's speech had had some sort of effect, and each cat was probably thinking it over.

Spottedstar blinked thoughtfully. "You bring up a good point, Birchclaw," he meowed, acknowledging the warrior. "But it is quite obvious that these cats mean everything they say." He looked down at the StoneClan cats. "Does LeafClan agree that they may stay here, and, if they prove their loyalty, become real members of our Clan?"

For a moment, everyone remained silent, and Puddlelizard hung her head, as if already thinking that they were going to be forced to leave. Pinepaw surprised himself by raising a paw. "If I may, Spottedstar?" he inquired. When the leader nodded, his face showing that he was curious about what Pinepaw would say, the young apprentice padded forward and stopped just in front of the line of StoneClan cats. He cleared his throat, but oddly he didn't feel nervous about speaking in front of the whole Clan.

He swept the crowd with his dark green gaze. "Even though it's only been a short time," he began clearly, "I've known these cats for longer than any of you. And if you look into their eyes, you will see the color, yes. But look beyond that and you will see revenge, a desire to seek vengeance against those within their Clan who made it so truly horrible. There is sorrow, too, for those they left behind, those they wish to be safe. Kindness, loyalty, and love are there also. Are not LeafClan cats like this, too? Wishing for vengeance against those who have wronged you, love for your Clanmates, and the desire to protect and defend your Clan? If they remain here, they will not need to become LeafClan cats. As far as I'm concerned, they already are. So I agree, they should stay." He padded back toward where he was sitting beside Badgerpelt before, and his mentor looked down at him, obviously impressed.

Before he knew it, every cat was shouting out their answers to Spottedstar's question.

Not a single cat said no.

"It's settled then," Spottedstar said, satisfied. "I would like to speak with my senior warriors and our newest additions about what to do about StoneClan." He leapt down from the Crookedtree, and the former StoneClan warriors padded over toward him along with LeafClan's senior warriors. Pinepaw noticed that the dappled queen, Brightdawn, Lakepaw, and Tinypaw remained where they were, looking nervous and confused. He padded over.

"You and Tinypaw should go and see Rosefur," he addressed Brightdawn, nodding toward the tunnel in the ground leading to medicine den. "She's our medicine cat. She can look you over, Brightdawn, and she can care for Tinypaw." He noticed that the sick apprentice was laying on the ground beside Lakepaw, her eyelids fluttering gently and her flanks rapidly rising and falling. Brightdawn looked surprised to be ordered around by Pinepaw, but she obeyed and quickly entered the medicine den without hesitation. Badgerpelt came over and helped Tinypaw inside, too.

"You should go to the nursery," he mewed, now talking to the dappled queen. "Our queens will be glad to have you, though it's a bit crowded in there right now." As he spoke, Feathersong and Cloverfrost, two of the queens, quickly trotted over and began speaking kindly to the dappled queen. The she-cat immediately relaxed in their presence, and they each brought a kit to the nursery.

Then Pinepaw turned to Lakepaw, who seemed to be staring into space. "Come on," he meowed, nudging the apprentice playfully. "I can getcha something to eat." He guided the apprentice over to the hollow log that was the apprentice den. He told Lakepaw to stay put, and quickly trotted over to the freshkill pile, wondering what to get Lakepaw.

_What do StoneClan cats eat? _he wondered, before choosing a blackbird and going back to Lakepaw. He sat down and they wordlessly shared the prey together. When they were done, Lakepaw licked his lips and opened his mouth to speak. "I wanted to say thank you," he said quietly. "For standing up for us, you know. I don't think the Clan would have accepted us without you saying all that stuff."

Pinepaw shrugged, embarrassed. "It was nothing, but you're welcome." He rose to his paws and showed Lakepaw an unoccupied nest in the corner of the wide hollow log, and he waited until the dark tom had curled up and his breathing had slowed. Pinepaw quietly crept back into the clearing and sat, gazing up at the rising moon. He hadn't realized that the day was already over.

The apprentice heard a rustle beside him and looked over to see a dark brown tom settle next to him. It was Brackenpaw, Pinepaw's foster brother. Brackenpaw's mother, Thrushfeather, had suckled Pinepaw when his own mother's milk wouldn't come. They had been raised as kits together, and had become very close. Pinepaw had also become friends with Brackenpaw's sister, Driftpaw. However, Brackenpaw and Driftpaw had been three moons older and been apprenticed long before Pinepaw. "Hey," Pinepaw purred. "Exciting day, right?"

Brackenpaw nodded distractedly. Pinepaw blinked, worried. "Is everything alright?" he asked his friend uncertainly.

Before he could move, Brackenpaw's dark brown, almost black face was right in front of his eyes. His lips curled up in a snarl, and Pinepaw remained still, shocked.

"You idiot," Brackenpaw hissed. "You just _had_ to go up there and give your little speech to the whole Clan, didn't ya? Now everyone thinks that you're such a wise, kind little tom. Well, listen here, mouse-brain. I like Heatherpaw a lot, and we had sort of a thing going, until you did your whole speech. She was staring at you like you were sent down by StarClan. I know that you were just trying to impress the she-cats, but don't try to impress Heatherpaw. She's mine, understand?" He was literally breathing wrath in Pinepaw's face. "And second. Driftpaw really likes you. While you were eating with that black apprentice, she was off on her own closer to the apprentice den. She was looking at you with big eyes, and she was looking so sappy. Then she got up and walked by you, and I saw her open her mouth like she was saying something to you, but you just ignored her. You and that useless black tom were just so busy _bonding_," he sneered. His ice-blue eyes were flaming with outrage. "Then her eyes got all bright and weird, and I wasn't close enough to really see, but it was really obvious that she was upset and embarrassed. So she went and sat with pathetic Graypaw, and made it look like she was going over there all along."

Pinepaw dug through his memories, back to when he had been sharing prey with Lakepaw. He remembered seeing Driftpaw out of the corner of his eye, and she had been staring at him, but not really at him, _over _him. When she got up, she did open her mouth and she had spoken. But it had been to call out in a friendly tone, "Graypaw!" Then Graypaw had invited her over with a flick of his tail, and her eyes had lit up. But not with sadness, with delight. Pinepaw hadn't made anything of it at first because he had known that Driftpaw and Graypaw both liked each other. Apparently Brackenpaw had been far enough away that he couldn't hear anything, but he must have seen Driftpaw's actions. His anger must have caused him to come to such conclusions.

Pinepaw blinked when he realized that Brackenpaw was speaking again, this time with an icy edge to his tone. "You stay away from Heatherpaw, understand?" he snarled. "And if you break my sister's heart, I'll tear your pathetic little body to shreds, you mange-pelt!"

"Wait, Brackenpaw!" Pinepaw spoke up suddenly. "Driftpaw doesn't like me, she likes Gr-" But it was too late. Brackenpaw was already stalking away and disappearing into the apprentice den.

Pinepaw was utterly bewildered by his foster brother's behavior. They had been so close, but it seemed that the bond they had shared had been shattered by things that had never happened. He had never intended to impress Heatherpaw; he had only wanted the StoneClan cats to stay. And he knew for a fact that Driftpaw loved Graypaw, not him.

Pinepaw quietly moved into the apprentice den, and curled up in his nest beside Lakepaw. He was happy to see that the tom was sleeping peacefully in his new camp. As he settled down for the night, he decided that he would try talking to Brackenpaw tomorrow and make him see sense. Maybe he would ask Driftpaw to help him.

Even though he was exhausted, he shifted uneasily, unable to sleep. He felt like he was being watched. When he raised his head and looked around, he saw one ice-blue eye opened wide and staring at him menacingly across the den.

"Remember what I said," Brackenpaw hissed quietly. "You wouldn't want to be in tiny pieces, now would you?" Then he closed his eye and pressed up close against Driftpaw.

As Pinepaw curled up once more, he shivered involuntarily. He hoped that Brackenpaw would believe him tomorrow. If he didn't, Pinepaw just hoped that Brackenpaw wouldn't remain true to his word.

**Well, well, well…apprentice rivalries and love already. And between foster brothers! Honestly, I feel bad for Brackenpaw. He's rather blinded by his love for Heatherpaw and his care for Driftpaw.**

**I guess that Pinepaw's squirrel is forever forgotten in the forest, rotting in the ground where he buried it. **

**I know that this is very late, or at least much later than I planned, and I am very sorry. :(** **Just so you know, not all of the chapters are going to be this long. This is just to get things started. Please press the Review button, it is currently screaming: **

"**If you don't click me, you die!" Hehe. Next update, I dunno when. We'll just have to wait and see. :)**


	3. Chapter 2: Brightdawn

**Ta-Da! Chapter 2 time! Thank you to Moonblaze 13 for reviewing.**

**I know I already PMed you Moonblaze but again: there is more to Eagleclaw than you think, and yes, I know that the plot is going rather fast, but you need to know everything I've said so far to understand parts later in the story.**

Brightdawn awoke, blinking blearily, wondering what had caused her to jerk from her deep sleep. After entering Rosefur's den the previous day, the kindly old medicine cat had checked her over and immediately pushed her to a secluded part of the den, away from the cats in the main part of the den that had whitecough. She had discovered that two of them had greencough. Rosefur had said that Brightdawn would most likely have her kits that day, and she wanted to keep her as far away from the sick cats as possible while still able to keep an eye on her. There wasn't room in the nursery anyway.

The pregnant she-cat yawned. It had been a long, hard pregnancy, much longer than those of the she-cats she had known that had kitted. But she wasn't scared to have her first litter; she was rather relieved to get out the kits that had caused her so much trouble and illness. As Brightdawn peered around the rock shelf just in front of her corner of the large, spacious medicine den set into a hill, she thought she saw faint stirring among the sick cats. They dragged themselves to their feet and weakly moved right to the end of the tunnel leading into the den, obviously watching something.

"What's going on?" Brightdawn asked quietly, hauling herself unsteadily to her paws. Her huge belly weighed down beneath her. A brown and white she-cat that she did not know the name of turned to her and blinked kindly at Brightdawn.

"Come and sit over here," she invited, patting the ground next to her with her tail. "Finchkit and Tumblekit are becoming apprentices. Spottedstar has just called a Clan meeting."

Brightdawn hesitated, lingering by the stone shelf, unsure of what to do. She remembered that Rosefur had been very clear last night about not going near the sick cats lest she endanger her kits. She looked around for the medicine cat, but the brown tabby was nowhere in sight.

The brown and white she-cat purred. "Don't worry, I'm not sick. I'm only in here for this to get treated. I'm not yet allowed back on warrior duties." She shifted slightly just enough for Brightdawn to glimpse her swollen forepaw wrapped in cobwebs and some sort of leaves. Brightdawn made slow progress over to the she-cat. "What's your name?" she panted as she gently plopped down.

"Appleflower," she replied, looking down at Brightdawn's swollen stomach. "You're Brightdawn, right? Crownest's mate?" At Brightdawn's surprised expression, she purred. "Last night, Crownest listed everybody's names as there was never really a formal introduction. The senior warriors have been telling us your names."

The pregnant she-cat nodded in understanding. "So who are Finchkit and Tumblekit?" she asked, peering out of the tunnel over the heads of the sick cats. She made sure not to get too close to them. Outside, she saw a she-cat and a tom, obviously the parents, bent over a pretty tabby she-cat and a black and brown tom, grooming them ferociously.

"They're Dawnfrost's kits. She is quite a nice she-cat, and I'm sure she'll be happy to be back on warrior duties." She sighed. "I wish I could go back on my duties, but not for another couple days, Rosefur says."

Brightdawn looked down at Applefower's sprained paw, and realized that it actually had deep cuts above it. She looked at the she-cat questioningly. "StreamClan," Appleflower replied simply, as if that explained everything. At Brightdawn's confused expression, she began to explain. "We've been having some issues with them over a stream in our territory, Willowcreek. StreamClan keeps crossing it and stealing prey and herbs. I was involved in the last battle, and a StreamClan warrior shoved me underwater in Willowcreek. Sharp pebbles rolled away under my paw, and they cut my paw as they rolled away. Then, obviously, my foot twisted." Her eyes gleamed. "But that warrior just managed to get away with a clawed face and shredded ears!" she purred. Suddenly, she turned to the entrance. "Oh, the ceremony is starting!" she mewed excitedly.

Brightdawn paid rapt attention. She knew that LeafClan ceremonies were probably similar to StoneClan ceremonies, but it was the first one she was seeing in her new Clan.

Spottedstar was looking down at the two soon to be apprentices in front of him, groomed to perfection by their parents. Brightdawn saw a pretty red she-cat pressed up against the golden brown tom, Birchclaw, that had questioned letting the StoneClan cats stay the previous day. But the warrior didn't look hostile anymore, only like he was about to burst with pride for his kits as they padded closer to Spottedstar.

The spotted leader began the ceremony. "I, Spottedstar, leader of LeafClan, call StarClan to look down upon these two kits, for today they shall become apprentices. Finchkit, come forward." The tabby and white she-cat padded forward, her tail high in the air and a smile curling her muzzle. "From this day forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Finchpaw. Foxtail, you are ready for an apprentice. You will be mentor to young Finchpaw." A reddish tabby tom padded forward, eyes shining with delight. "Foxtail, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of great spirit and swiftness. I hope that you will pass on all you know to Finchpaw." Foxtail trotted forward, his bushy tail waving, and touches noses gently with Finchpaw. Then they drew over to the side of the clearing.

The black and brown tom padded forward, looking more nervous than his sister. Spottedstar purred as he looked down at Tumblekit. "From this day forward, until you have earned your full name, you will be known as Tumblepaw. LeafClan, Tumblepaw will be the next medicine cat." There were murmurs of surprise as Rosefur padded forward, and Brightdawn realized why she hadn't been in the den before.

Spottedstar continued. "Tumblepaw, is it your wish to accept the post of medicine cat apprentice?"

"Yes, Spottedstar," he mewed quietly but confidently.

"Then," the leader meowed, "you must travel to the Silverfall at the half moon with the other medicine cats to be accepted by StarClan. The best wishes of the Clan will go with you."

"Finchpaw! Tumblepaw! Finchpaw! Tumblepaw!" The Clan loudly yowled the new apprentices' names until the chant died down. The cats crowded around them for a moment, congratulating them, before dispersing to do their duties. Brightdawn saw that the five sick cats crouching at the entrance were returning to their nests, chatting in hoarse voices about the ceremony. Brightdawn moved to the side to let the last cat pass, and suddenly a pain so sharp pierced her belly that she felt dizzy.

The queen collapsed on her side, gasping for air as lightning strikes of pain jabbed her stomach so violently she felt that she had to vomit. Everything was going dark and fuzzy. She was dimly aware of Appleflower calling for Rosefur, the brown tabby arriving and instructing Tumblepaw to only observe. She could feel the medicine cat slip moss or something underneath her to soak up the blood. As her eyes began to close, she felt Rosefur shake her.

"Don't close your eyes, Brightdawn," she meowed firmly. "It's important that you're awake while kitting. Just stay awake."

The ginger and white queen forced her eyes wide open, and saw Appleflower limping over with water-soaked moss. She couldn't even mumble a thank you, but she just managed to drink some of the sweet, oh so sweet water from the moss. Then she dropped her muzzle onto the floor and gave herself up to the pain, letting out a moan.

"The first kit is coming!"Rosefur said from her position by Brightdawn's hindquarters. "Ready, push!" Brightdawn used all of her effort, her whiskers quivering. When she finally had to stop, she felt Rosefur nudging a wet bundle to her belly. Brightdawn tried to raise her head, but could not. More spasms rippled over her whole body, and she felt that the pain would never stop.

"Here's the next one," Rosefur announced. Brightdawn strained again, and again Rosefur nudged a kit to her belly. "There's one more kit," she rasped. "Don't worry, you're doing great, Brightdawn."

_If this is what great feels like, then what does bad feel like? _she thought, grinding her teeth against the pain.

This time, Brightdawn could feel the kit coming and pushed harder than ever before, her muscles contracting painfully. A horrible yowl clawed its way out of her throat. When she finally went limp, trembling, she could feel another little kit latch onto her belly and begin to suckle. Her darkened vision finally cleared, and she blinked to see Crownest sitting beside her.

"They're so beautiful," he murmured, licking each kit on the head in turn. "Are you okay, darling?"

"Just tired," she muttered. She managed to lift her head now, and smiled weakly at the sight of her three kits.

"They are all healthy and strong," Rosefur meowed cheerily. Then she turned away and began speaking to her new apprentice. "Now, Tumblepaw, did you see…" Their voices faded away as they padded away from the corner of the den. Looking around, Brightdawn realized that she had been moved to the corner where she had been before. She realized that she must have almost been unconscious to not notice being moved.

"What shall we name them?" she meowed to Crownest, examining each one's fur.

"What about Brindlekit for this one?" her mate suggested, gently swiping the top of the only she-cat's head with his black tail-tip. Brightdawn nodded, noticing that she had a dark pelt much like Crownest's, but it was mixed and patched with different shades of gray. There were also some dark cream colored tufts of fur beneath the gray.

Brightdawn turned her attention to her other two kits, both toms. One of them had a brown pelt, speckled with ginger, red, and white. His fur looked soft and downy, almost like a feather…

"Owlkit," she mewed, pointing out the dappled tom. "His fur is just like an owl feather."

Crownest nodded. "Yes," he meowed. "I like that name. What about Flamekit or Firekit for the other tom?" The last kit was bright ginger, with a very distinctive white flash in the center of his forehead that ran down his face, a white underbelly, white paws, and a white patch on the back of his neck.

Brightdawn shook her head. "No, I'm pretty sure there is a cat named Flamefoot in this Clan, and Firekit is just too similar."

"Blazekit, then?"

Brightdawn smiled. "I agree, it goes with his markings." She licked her kits gently for the first time. "Blazekit, Owlkit, and Brindlekit," she meowed softly as Crownest curled up next to her. "You will have a better life in LeafClan than you ever would have had in StoneClan."

**Kind of a boring chapter, yeah, I know. And nowhere near as long as the last one. But Brightdawn's kits had to get into the world somehow. And unfortunately, I'm particularly bad at describing she-cats giving birth. Sorry if that part was horrible.**

**Please review! And have a Merry Christmas! Hopefully next update won't be too far away because it's Christmas break, and I have more time to write! Yay!**


	4. Chapter 3

**I was originally going to wait until I had three reviews for Chapter 2 but….meh. I had this chappie done and I just couldn't wait! It is Christmas Eve, after all, so Merry Christmas everyone! Douple update! **

Pinepaw was picking at a thin mouse halfheartedly a few fox-lengths away from the apprentices' hollow log. He had been happy to hear that Brightdawn had kitted after the apprentice naming ceremony, and the three kits, Brindlekit, Blazekit, and Owlkit, were all strong and healthy. Now, it was almost sundown, and he hadn't yet gotten a chance to speak with Brackenpaw alone. He knew that he needed to get the older apprentice in private to talk with him; he didn't want to do it in front of so many other cats because he did not want Brackenpaw to get in trouble for threatening him.

Pinepaw had just been on a hunting patrol, and he had been the only cat in the patrol to catch something. His small, pathetic vole lay on the meager freshkill pile. Today, the hunting had been especially hard. And the StoneClan cats hadn't helped to hunt; Spottedstar had promised them that tomorrow, he would send them into the forest with some LeafClan warriors to show them how to hunt among plants and thick undergrowth.

When Pinepaw looked up, he caught Brackenpaw staring oddly at him. His icy eyes were narrowed, in anger or contentment, he couldn't tell. Pinepaw sighed; he had been getting dirty looks from Brackenpaw all day.

Pinepaw heard soft pawsteps and turned to see little Finchpaw approaching. Her pale ginger tabby stripes shone a pretty gold in the orange light of the setting sun. "What's got your tail in a twist?" she meowed to him cheerily, plopping down next to him.

Pinepaw looked over at the newest apprentice, surprised that she could pick up his feelings so easily. She purred. "I'm not spying on you or anything, but that sigh was probably heard up on BreezeClan's cliff."

Pinepaw looked down at his paws, embarrassed. "I'm fine. I'm just having some troubles with a friend, that's all." Finchpaw looked at him curiously, but to her credit, she did not press him.

"Are you going to eat that mouse?" she asked, poking the gray creature with a paw. "Foxtail showed me the whole territory today, and I'm starving!" Pinepaw pushed the half-eaten mouse over to her, and she quickly gulped it down. Despite himself, Pinepaw couldn't help but purr.

As Finchpaw laid down to soak up the last rays of sunlight, she looked at him, irritated. "What are you laughing at?"

Pinepaw shook his head, still purring. "At the rate you ate that mouse, you'll become the fattest cat in the forest!" Finchpaw leapt to her paws, waggling her haunches playfully.

"You wanna see who's fatter?" she challenged him playfully, her tail twitching back and forth. Finchpaw shot out a paw and gave him a gentle whack on the muzzle.

"You're on!"Pinepaw growled back, crouching down.

The two apprentices circled each other, sizing each other up. Pinepaw knew that it would be easy to beat Finchpaw since she had no battle training yet. Even though he didn't have a lot of battle training, he knew that it was enough to beat her. After boxing each other's muzzles with soft swipes, Pinepaw leapt over her head, landed neatly on his paws, and spun around. Finchpaw was too surprised to react, and he managed to land a few teasing blows on her flank before backing out of range. Then it was Pinepaw's turn to be surprised, when Finchpaw charged right at him. But he easily jumped into the air as Finchpaw rushed beneath him, and landed on her back. The young she-cat landed on the ground, and struggled, but was unable to escape from Pinepaw's heavier weight.

"Okay, great warrior!" she moaned dramatically. "You have killed me!" Then her voice returned to normal. "Really, get off me you big lump!"

Pinepaw flushed. "Sorry," he muttered, letting her get up. "That wasn't bad for your first apprentice fight," he praised her, and she lifted her head proudly. Then she yawned, and Pinepaw's whiskers twitched with amusement. "Maybe you should go to sleep now."

Finchpaw didn't object, and she padded into the hollow log. Pinepaw sat down, grooming his ruffled fur. As he tugged at particularly clumpy knot of brown fur, he began to wonder if he could get Brackenpaw into the forest to talk to him. But he had to get Driftpaw first, because he knew that it would take more than just his words to convince Brackenpaw that Pinepaw was telling the truth. It seemed that his thoughts had summoned the dark brown apprentice, because when Pinepaw finished unknotting the clump of fur and turned to lick his chest, Brackenpaw's dark face was before him.

"Great StarClan, Brackenpaw!" he muttered, giving his chest a few licks to hide his uneasiness. "You scared me out of my fur." Then he remembered that he wanted to get Brackenpaw in the forest, and he meowed, "Listen, I was wondering if-"

Brackenpaw interrupted him. "Do you wanna go on a patrol with me, just us? I want to make up for being so mean to you yesterday. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm really sorry."

Pinepaw sighed. "Thanks. I really thought you were serious yesterday. I was just about to ask you into the forest so I could try to make you see some sense, but it looks like you already have."

"So you're coming then?" Brackenpaw asked, his eyes dancing oddly, but Pinepaw took it to be happiness that his old friend had forgiven him.

Pinepaw nodded, and the two toms padded toward the thick, bushy entrance. They passed Badgerpelt and Nightclaw, the deputy, sharing tongues, and Thrushfeather and Hazelberry sharing a skinny blackbird. They didn't seem to notice the apprentices that were leaving camp, and Pinepaw felt like something wasn't right. "Shouldn't we ask one of the warriors if this is okay?" he asked uncertainly.

"I already asked Spottedstar," Brackenpaw meowed as they emerged into the forest. "He is the leader and my mentor, so I'm pretty sure that it's okay."

Pinepaw rolled his eyes. Even if Brackenpaw had apologized he would never lose his sarcasm. The two toms padded through the forest, with Brackenpaw in the lead. Pinepaw realized that they were heading toward Willowcreek. "So, is this a hunting patrol, or a border patrol?"

"It doesn't really matter," Brackenpaw answered, carefully skirting tangle of prickly brambles. "But I suppose we should mark the border at Willowcreek, to keep those fox-hearted StreamClan warriors off our land."

When they arrived at the swiftly flowing, wide stream, they crossed it using a log that acted as a bridge. Pinepaw looked down at the water, realizing that it was much faster than he had originally thought. It was easily taller than he was, foaming and crashing around rocks that broke the surface. The blizzard must have contributed to its height, and he shivered, imagining falling in. But both of them reached the other side, and they marked the boundary between the marshy StreamClan territory and the grassy LeafClan land.

When they had finished, Pinepaw and Brackenpaw crossed back over the stream, but Brackenpaw didn't enter the trees. Instead, he whipped around, and Pinepaw froze at the hardness that had crept into his eyes. "You are so gullible!" he cried out. "Did you really think that I would forgive you so easily, bee-brain? I told you to stop impressing Heatherpaw, but you came back on that patrol, the only one carrying prey, even though it was rather a horrible catch. Heatherpaw was blabbering to me about what a great hunter you were turning into. And I told you to not break my sister's heart. But instead, you go and play-fight with Finchpaw. How much stupider could you get, Pinepaw? Now, you're going to pay for your foolishness." His voice had become an awful snarl.

Before Pinepaw could react, Brackenpaw had darted forward and sliced right down his left flank. Pinepaw hissed with pain as blood trickled from the long cut; he didn't want to fight Brackenpaw. He couldn't hurt someone that had been his friend for so long. But he also knew that he wouldn't win a fight against Brackenpaw anyway; the older apprentice had had moons of battle training, and he was always easily beating the other apprentices when they were training in the Green Hollow.

As Pinepaw decided that he should probably run, Brackenpaw was on his back suddenly, tearing mercilessly at his back and ripping out chunks of fur. Pinepaw yowled, and rolled onto his back to try and get Brackenpaw underneath him, only to impale himself on Brackenpaw's claws. He then realized his mistake when the dark tom wriggled out easily from underneath him and pressed down on his soft underbelly. The breath was knocked out of Pinepaw momentarily, and Brackenpaw's eyes gleamed as he took advantage of Pinepaw's distraction.

He raised a claw and plunged it down into Pinepaw's stomach. Pinepaw gasped in pain as Brackenpaw tore a deep, bloody gash from the center of Pinepaw's belly all the way to the top of his left hind leg. Brackenpaw scrambled off of him, and Pinepaw just managed to thrust himself to his paws, groaning with the effort. He swayed slightly as blood poured from his newest injury, but anger flooded his limbs with strength, and he saw Brackenpaw's shocked look as he leapt forward and fastened his teeth deep into Brackenpaw's dark brown ear, refusing to let go even when Brackenpaw drew his long claws down Pinepaw's chest.

Brackenpaw suddenly tore his ear free, cursing under his breath, and darted forward again. This time, he aimed underneath Pinepaw, and unbalanced him by knocking a back leg out from underneath him. Brackenpaw again had Pinepaw on his back, exposing his soft spotted belly. Pinepaw tried to claw Brackenpaw viciously on the muzzle, but couldn't raise his paws. Brackenpaw clawed right over one of Pinepaw's eyes, and the young apprentice could feel it swelling. As Pinepaw shook blood out of his eyes, he felt another gash being torn into his stomach, right beside the first. He desperately tried to fake defeat; it was the only thing he thought that could work.

Pinepaw groaned and went limp beneath Brackenpaw, and the dark brown apprentice grunted as if with satisfaction. Pinepaw took a moment, gathering up his last scraps of strength, before kicking as hard as he could with his back legs. Brackenpaw eyes widened as he flew backwards, and Pinepaw scrambled to his feet, staggering to the side, feeling blood drip from his wounds.

"Why?" he asked in a hoarse whisper as Brackenpaw approached yet again. "Why are you attacking a Clanmate?"

Brackenpaw's only answer was a snarl. "Like I said, you're going to pay." Malice now edged his growl. "What better way to pay than with your life?" Dread dropped into Pinepaw's heart like a stone. Brackenpaw was planning on killing him. How had his best friend, always mischievous and playful, become this cat full of bloodlust? How could he kill a cat without regret for believing that Pinepaw was trying to steal his love and break his sister's heart, when it wasn't even true? Why was he attacking Pinepaw about something so _stupid?_

Brackenpaw flew at him again, and Pinepaw's wounds made him slow. Brackenpaw dug his teeth into Pinepaw's flank, ripping out fur. He spat out the fur and knocked Pinepaw onto his side, clawing and biting viciously with murder in his ice-blue eyes. Soon Pinepaw could only feel dull aches as Brackenpaw ripped his side open, tearing horribly and angrily. Pinepaw found that he couldn't move, blood pooling around him. He made no noise when Brackenpaw grabbed Pinepaw's left forepaw in his jaws and twisted it violently. Pinepaw heard a crack, and felt pain shoot up his leg. Then Brackenpaw let go, spitting.

Pinepaw twitched weakly, trying to get up, but it was no use. Brackenpaw was still eyeing him. "I've got a surprise planned for you," he growled from deep in his throat. The dark tom disappeared into the trees, leaving Pinepaw just underneath the tree where he had crouched the day before to jump down and ambush Badgerpelt. Things changed so fast, it seemed. Pinepaw felt so helpless, laying limp beneath the willow tree.

His heart seemed to stop altogether when Brackenpaw appeared dragging a shiny thing toward the tree. It was silver, gleaming in the setting sun, with sharp, pointed teeth. It looked a mouth, and Pinepaw realized it was a fox trap.

When Brackenpaw drew close enough, he dropped the trap and walked over to Pinepaw. He grasped Pinepaw's scruff roughly in his jaws, beginning to drag him toward the trap. Pain was shooting through his body with each tiny movement, but he was too weak to cry out in pain. Brackenpaw stopped just in front of the shiny fox trap, and Pinepaw whimpered. "Please, no."

Brackenpaw simply looked at him with cold ice-blue eyes. "You deserve it, for betraying me," he hissed. Then he dragged Pinepaw right over the fox trap, and it clamped down on his left shoulder.

A wild shriek ripped its way out of Pinepaw's throat, but Brackenpaw shoved his tail in Pinepaw's mouth to stifle it. Pinepaw felt each individual point bury itself deep into his skin, and he felt his shoulder shatter. Unimaginable agony ripped through his very being, and at that moment Pinepaw wanted nothing more than to die.

Brackenpaw's eyes were gleaming with undisguised hatred. Then he grasped Pinepaw's scruff once more, dragging him toward the stream. Pinepaw's whole body had almost gone numb. When Brackenpaw reached the edge of Willowcreek, he snarled passionately, "Good bye. Say hello to StarClan for me, Pinepaw." Then, grunting with the effort, Brackenpaw swung Pinepaw over the water and dropped him into it.

Pinepaw hit the water with a splash, and the freezing cold of the water brought back all of the pain from his wounds. He gasped for breath, choking on water, as he was carried downstream. He could feel the fox trap pulling him down, inflicting more agony upon his broken shoulder. He felt blood flowing from his gashes and cuts and staining the water around him scarlet before quickly disappearing in the current. Just before he sank under the surface, he caught a glimpse of Brackenpaw sitting on the bank with a grotesque but satisfied smile curling his muzzle.

Pinepaw managed to gulp one last breath before the fox trap pulled him under, deeper and deeper into the black water. It was now almost moonhigh, and everything was dark and blurry. He kicked ferociously with his back legs and good right front leg, but it was no use. His furious paddling wasn't strong enough to send him to the surface. Instead, it only sent torturous pain throughout his body. The tom was tossed about under water, his paws brushing the pebbly streambed. Pinepaw didn't bother to look up; he knew that the surface was far above him now.

There was no escape.

Even with sheer agony pounding with each movement, Pinepaw's mind felt oddly clear. He wondered if he was dying. Pinepaw could feel the current growing stronger around him, and knew that the stream had flowed into the river that curved around LeafClan territory and was the border between LeafClan and BreezeClan territory. Had he been carried along so far already? As he wondered at it, the water became more forceful, tossing him about more ferociously. His head began to pound, his lungs screaming for air. Even as darkness began to hover at the edges of his vision, he suddenly realized how smart Brackenpaw had been, how carefully he had masked his emotions. And even when Pinepaw's body was found, the stream would have washed away any trace of Brackenpaw's scent.

Pinepaw knew that it was selfish, but he only wanted his pain to end. As he thought about pain, the river brought him smashing into a submerged boulder. He bounced off of it, only to crash into another. He had reached a very rocky part of the river. Pinepaw continued to hit and spin off of rocks and boulders. One in particular hit the fox trap, only making it dig deeper into his skin, and Pinepaw opened his mouth wide in a soundless wail. Water flooded his mouth, and he began to choke, twitching madly under the water. He wouldn't last much longer. Pinepaw's eyes began to droop close.

_Please,_ he thought groggily, nothing but suffering filling his mind. _Take me, StarClan. I can't go on like this._

It was like StarClan had suddenly sent him a sign. Behind Pinepaw's half-closed eyelids, he saw the face of his father, Ashleaf, who had died just before Pinepaw's apprentice naming ceremony of greencough. His father's dark gray face was calm and steady, as Pinepaw remembered it, with his dark green eyes showing nothing but kindness. Then the eyes moved upward slowly, looking at the surface of the river, then back at Pinepaw questioningly.

_I can't,_ he thought painfully. _I'm sorry, Father. I'm not strong enough._

Ashleaf's eyes narrowed seriously, and then he disappeared. Pinepaw began to sink even farther into the blackness that was crowding in on his eyes. Then, suddenly, he felt like he was being pushed up by something, an unseen force. Even in the water, Pinepaw caught the faintest trace of his father's familiar scent. He could feel the lightest touch of Ashleaf's fur against his flank as he pushed Pinepaw up, toward the light of the rising moon until-

Air! Pinepaw gulped in air, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he sucked in the air with his mouth and nose, almost choking on it like it was water. He could still feel Ashleaf pushing him, but now toward the bank. When Pinepaw's pawtips brushed the shore, he could feel his father leaving him.

"_It's not your time yet, son,"_ he heard a voice whisper in his ear. "_StarClan will look out for you."_

Pinepaw thrust his eyes open with enormous effort, and found that he was lying on the riverbank with water washing around his back paws, which were splayed out behind him. He coughed up river water. He could feel heavy, wet snow dropping down upon his bloody, broken body. His vision was still blurry, but just in front of him he saw what looked like a thicket of tangled holly bushes.

_I need to get to the bushes, _he thought fiercely, trying to pull himself forward with his one good forepaw, bracing his back paws against the hardened, frozen ground for leverage. Inch by inch, Pinepaw dragged himself toward the holly bushes. The pain was tormenting him, shooting first through his shoulder where the fox trap was buried, then to his broken left forepaw, then to each and every gash. The cut above his eye had stopped swelling in the water, but now it had grown large again and it almost blocked his right eye.

When he was right beside the bushes, he stopped to rest. Pinepaw could just make out LeafClan scent markers lingering in the air, and he was filled with relief. Ashleaf had brought Pinepaw over to the LeafClan side of the river instead of the BreezeClan one.

Pinepaw felt numbness begin to set in again, and he moaned in misery as he forced himself to crawl under the holly branches. He didn't stop until he was fully under, away from the snow. He knew what he had to do next. If he left the fox trap in his shoulder, it would grow tighter and tighter until it literally ripped off his whole shoulder. Pinepaw reached feebly with his good paw for a thick, sturdy branch. When he found one just above his head, he yanked it down and stuck it into the tiny space between where the fox trap connected to his shoulder and the shiny stuff that stuck out a bit. He whimpered in pain, but shoved the branch into the gap so that the fox trap was firmly on the branch. Then, Pinepaw gathered up all of his courage and roughly rolled away, leaving the fox trap dangling from the branch with his fur and a small chunk of his flesh caught in its teeth. It took a moment for the agony to set in, but when it did, it was awful. Pinepaw began to retch, gagging on the pain. Fresh blood flowed freely from his useless shoulder, and Pinepaw convulsed weakly as he spluttered and coughed. Finally, he grew still. His flanks were heaving with exhaustion, and his muzzle lolled to the side as unconsciousness took hold of him.

Pinepaw drifted in and out of consciousness. It could have been mere minutes, it could have been days, but he didn't care. Day and night had no meaning for him. He couldn't see past the holly branches that he woke to. He began to shiver violently, a chill from the cold river settling down upon his already suffering body. With the chill and the pain of his wounds, Pinepaw felt like he was on fire while being shoved under a freezing cold lake. Each breath was a struggle, and Pinepaw wanted, again, nothing more than to die.

Then, after coming to for about the ninth or tenth time, he could hear faint voices. Pinepaw tried to prick his ears to hear better but failed. He thought the voices were coming closer, but he wasn't sure. He was delirious from blood loss, unsure if anything was really happening. Perhaps it was the voice of StarClan warriors coming to claim him.

When they got close enough, Pinepaw could make out words. "I smell something…" That was Silverwind, the best tracker in the Clan.

"Is it him, Silverwind?" asked a tired voice. Pinepaw was pretty sure it was Spottedstar.

"Spottedstar," came the voice of Nightclaw, the deputy. "You shouldn't be on this search patrol. You've been on every one since Pinepaw disappeared last night, and you haven't gotten any sleep."

Spottedstar replied, "An apprentice of our Clan is missing. That is enough to keep me from my sleep."

"Hey!" Silverwind piped up suddenly. "I smell him, from somewhere by the holly bush thicket." Then his meow took on a note of horror. "There's blood. So much blood, right here by the bank. Pinepaw must be injured."

"What could have made him bleed so much?" Heatherpaw.

Pinepaw tried to wrap his incoherent mind around what he was hearing beyond the thicket. He had only been missing since last night? Spottedstar had been looking for him on every single search patrol? His head began to pound with everything, and his shoulder began to scream with agony again. Pinepaw's eyes drooped closed, and he knew that he would be unconscious again soon.

There was a patter of paws as the patrol warily approached the bushes. A rustle sounded from somewhere to the right of Pinepaw as someone poked their head in, and an even louder rustle as a paw brushed aside the branches that were masking Pinepaw's dappled pelt against the wall of the thicket. He heard a sharp intake of breath, a cry, and the air became stuffy as the whole patrol managed to crowd into the small thicket.

"Spottedstar, you don't think he's…" Nightclaw's tense whisper trailed off.

Silverwind's voice was full of grief. "He was so young."

"No!" Heatherpaw whispered. "No, Pinepaw!"

He felt a paw gently touch his flank, but the light touch of the paw caused his whole body to tense as the fire spread throughout him once more. A whimper found its way out of his throat, and the air became rent with cries.

"He's alive!"

"His shoulder…it's ripped open."

"So is his whole right side."

"Why is there a fox trap hanging here?"

"Heatherpaw, don't touch him! You might injure him further!"

"Pinepaw, just stay with us. We're going to get you some help, okay?"

"Pinepaw!" came a fierce meow. "Pinepaw, can you open your eyes?"

With strength that he didn't even know he possessed, the apprentice raised his heavy lids just enough to see Spottedstar's wide blue eyes a whisker-length from his green ones. He realized that Spottedstar's eyes were flaring with rage, so much like Brackenpaw's had been… Spottedstar reached out to rest his tail on Pinepaw's shoulders, but Pinepaw flinched back, remembering Brackenpaw's torture. When he moved, a thin cry of pain erupted from his mouth. Spottedstar's eyes gentled, and Pinepaw struggled to keep his eyes focused on Spottedstar. "Pinepaw, I won't hurt you," he meowed softly, lightly touching his tail-tip to Pinepaw's ear. "Now you have to tell me. Who did this to you?"

Pinepaw froze, and looked away, trying to keep his eyes open. What would Brackenpaw do to him if he told? But it couldn't be worse than what he had already gone through. He figured that he should tell before he became unconscious again.

"It's alright, Pinepaw," Spottedstar meowed. Silverwind, Nightclaw, and Heatherpaw all crowded a bit closer. "You can tell us, and we won't let anyone hurt you."

Pinepaw opened his mouth. His voice came out hoarse but the name that he said resounded clearly in the small thicket. "Brackenpaw."

Pinepaw struggled briefly before sinking into darkness once more.

**My, my, Brackenpaw.** **I'm not sure why I made you so evil, but I did, and now I'm not sure why I had to….I mean wasn't clawing him like crazy good enough, without dropping him on a fox trap and throwing him in a freezing cold stream? Sheesh. That cat is HARSH.**

**Yeah, I know, it's a miracle Pinepaw isn't dead. But remember what Ashleaf whispered in his ear when he pushed Pinepaw onto the bank. Interpreting it isn't that hard. ;)**

**Do you think I'm a monster for saying that I enjoy typing about blood and gore? I love it. I like to make everything painful. She-cats giving birth will always be extra painful, battles will be extra bloody, everything! Hehe. Wow I sound like I'm a serial killer. I'm not, everybody! I promise!**

**As I always say, please review!**


	5. Chapter 4: Seedpaw

**Since I can't find a way to work it into the story, I may as well just tell you that this character's POV is from StoneClan. It takes place the day that Pinepaw finds Lakepaw and the other StoneClan cats in their territory. **

The gray-and-brown she-cat awoke to the sound of voices echoing quietly in the cave that was the apprentice den. She blinked her pale blue eyes, looking outside at the sun that was perched on the horizon. Pale dawn light seeped into the large cave. Then she looked across the cave to see two toms bent over a little she-cat. As she watched, one tipped his head back in laughter.

The she-cat stealthily rose to her paws. It was Logpaw and Brownpaw, bullying Fawnpaw again. It was almost the same each morning. Fawnpaw's parents were both dead, her father from some sort of infection and her mother from a rock fall. Logpaw and Brownpaw would always make up things about her parents, and say other things to her…inappropriate things. After all, Fawnpaw was an exquisitely beautiful young she-cat. But unfortunately for her, some toms liked her for the wrong reason. Needless to say, the grossest toms just wanted to use her for their own disgusting uses.

The she-cat drew up right behind Logpaw and Brownpaw, then leapt over their heads and whirled around to face them. She made sure that Fawnpaw was behind her, and saw two bright amber eyes peering around her hindquarters. Then she faced the two toms fearlessly, her tail raking the air angrily.

"Well, hello Seedpaw," Brownpaw purred.

Logpaw sidled a little closer to her. "You wanna go for a walk, pretty thang?" he drawled, his eyes gleaming.

Seedpaw bared her teeth at them, white fangs glinting. "Lay off, you flea-bags!" she snarled.

When the toms chuckled at her, she lashed out with her claws and caught Brownpaw's paw. He jumped back. "Ow, ow, ow!" he screeched, licking quickly at the blood that had welled to the surface of the tiny scratch.

"Walk on that!" Seedpaw spat. "Now get out of here, before I rip off your whiskers." Her eyes glinted dangerously, and the toms muttered as they sulked out of the den. They cast mutinous glances at her before disappearing outside.

Seedpaw turned to Fawnpaw. The pale brown tabby was studying her paws. Her sleek tabby markings stood out nicely on her light pelt, and her white tail-tip twitched in embarrassment. "It's alright, Fawnpaw," Seedpaw mewed gently, bending down a bit but still unable to see Fawnpaw's pretty eyes. "Logpaw and Brownpaw are nothing but mange pelts. You know that what they say about your parents is a load of mouse droppings, and Wolfpaw and I will never let anything happen to you." When the young apprentice hunched her shoulders, Seedpaw tapped her gently on the chin with her tail, and Fawnpaw raised her head slowly. "There's Fawnpaw," she purred, and the little she-cat smiled a bit. Then Seedpaw rested her tail on Fawnpaw's shoulders and they padded out of the den together.

Seedpaw winced, hissing under her breath, as she put more weight on her injured forepaw. "Is your paw alright?" Fawnpaw asked in her soft, smooth voice. Her eyes were wide and anxious. "You've been taking Wolfpaw's clawings again, haven't you?"

Seedpaw couldn't hide the truth. She sighed. "Yes," she replied, but smiled brightly at Fawnpaw. "It's not bad, don't worry." That was the complete opposite. Wolfpaw, Seedpaw's sister, was Eagleclaw's apprentice. She often took the brunt of the deputy's anger, and Seedpaw couldn't bear to see her sister return from training every day, bloody and bruised from vicious sessions. It was because Eagleclaw claimed that there was always something wrong with what Wolfpaw was doing, and he would give her daily clawings, which involved him raking his claws through her pelt or simply attacking her. It was his sick idea of getting cats to do things right. Seedpaw was actually Duststar's apprentice, but because he had become so old and clueless about everything, she had never gotten to train. So Seedpaw had made a deal with Eagleclaw, something that none of the warriors would even be brave enough to do. She had told him that if he would train her in basic hunting and fighting skills, he could give her Wolfpaw's clawings. But she had already known how to hunt and fight by then; she just didn't want her sister to get hurt every day. When Wolfpaw had found out, she had tried to talk Eagleclaw and Seedpaw out of it, but neither listened. Seedpaw had received a clawing last night from Eagleclaw, and he had twisted one of her forepaws when attacking her.

Seedpaw shook her head to clear the memories, and started toward the freshkill pile, trying not to limp. She saw Wolfpaw picking at a large shrew, and padded toward her instead, Fawnpaw still at her side. In StoneClan, warriors could eat whenever they wanted. The freshkill pile was always large because of the large population in StoneClan that could now hunt for the Clan and the fact that their territory had been extended to the north, into grasslands. There had used to be farms there, but then the Twolegs had left and Eagleclaw had threatened to kill any cat that told the other Clans about the new source of prey. The only problem was that apprentices could only eat after they had performed some sort of duty. Seedpaw flopped down beside Wolfpaw and invited Fawnpaw to sit beside her.

"Hey," Seedpaw yawned to her sister. "Why are eating? What did you do so far today?"

Wolfpaw mumbled sleepily, "Eagleclaw had me up before dawn to go hunting. He was complaining about how loud I was, tramping through the rocks like a horde of badgers. But it was only because I was tired, and I still managed to catch two pieces of prey." She sounded exhausted, and Seedpaw felt sympathy rush through her.

Wolfpaw yawned, slowly blinking blue eyes that were exactly like Seedpaw's. Her mottled grayish-silver pelt was ruffled, and she rose to her paws. She began to trudge toward the apprentice den. "Eagleclaw said I could actually nap after," she muttered quietly to Seedpaw and Fawnpaw as she passed. "Isn't that a miracle." It was a statement, not a question. Seedpaw would have fallen over if Eagleclaw had told her that she could nap, and she couldn't have imagined Wolfpaw's reaction. A tiny act of kindness was beyond a miracle from Eagleclaw.

Suddenly, a red tabby tom appeared beside Seedpaw. "Did you hear?" he whispered eagerly. Without waiting for an answer, he rushed on. "Some cats escaped! They actually left StoneClan, two days ago."

The two she-cats' ears pricked in interest. "Who?" Fawnpaw whispered back. "And why didn't we know before now?"

The red tom's whiskers twitched and his ears drooped. "Crownest, Ivybuzzard, Puddlelizard, Lakepaw, Tinypaw, Brightdawn, Dapplefire, and her kits. I don't understand why they left without us, but something must have spooked them into leaving. It turns out, Eagleclaw has been trying to keep it a secret. He doesn't want anyone to know that cats actually escaped his power."

Seedpaw was shocked. She hadn't seen any of those cats for a few days, but StoneClan had a huge population now. You only saw the same warriors every couple days, and Lakepaw and Tinypaw had slept in a small, separate cave because the other one was too crowded. No one went in the other cave except them, so nobody would have noticed if they weren't there. It wasn't suspicious not to see any of them for the past few days. All of those cats had been talking to Seedpaw, Fawnpaw, Wolfpaw, and Redpaw, the tom, about escaping. But why did they leave without them? Whatever the reason, she knew that it had to be good.

"Redpaw," Seedpaw mused. "Do you know how they escaped?"

Redpaw nodded vigorously. "They supposedly knocked out Scorcholive and Bluemask, who were guarding the entrance that night, but we all know that didn't happen."

Fawnpaw and Seedpaw nodded in understanding. Bluemask was Fawnpaw's mentor, and Scorcholive was a friend of Crownest's. They were all allies, all believing that StoneClan should be different. Obviously, Bluemask and Scorcholive had simply let the group leave.

Redpaw's ears pricked as he heard a harsh voice calling his name. It was Wildstripe, his mentor, his silver and black fur as tangled as always. "Redpaw, get over here!" he snorted, eyes narrowed. Redpaw rolled his yellow eyes and bounded away.

Fawnpaw stared after him. "I hope he avoids clawings today." Seedpaw nodded in agreement. She didn't want Redpaw to get hurt, but it was almost inevitable. He would come back with minor wounds. After all, Wildstripe was a big follower of Eagleclaw. If Eagleclaw were leader, Wildstripe would definitely be deputy. He admired Eagleclaw's ways, especially the clawings.

Seedpaw sighed and rose to her paws when she saw the monster himself stalking toward her. "And the piece of fox dung is awake," she grumbled to Fawnpaw. The young she-cat giggled quietly, but froze as Eagleclaw stopped just in front of them.

His pale gray fur was bristling, black stripes rippling. He swept Fawnpaw with his piercing yellow gaze. "Don't you have something better to do?" he growled at her. Fawnpaw dipped her head and scurried toward Bluemask, who was waiting for her beside the apprentice den.

Eagleclaw snapped at her, "Well, come on. Time to get some scratches." He loped away, slipping through the tunnel that was formed by two giant rocks that had fallen toward each other, not meeting in the middle and making the entrance tunnel. As Seedpaw exited after him, she cast one last look at Fawnpaw beside Bluemask. The gray-blue tom blinked at her slowly, and the message that passed between the two cats was clear.

_I'll look after Fawnpaw, don't worry. But don't get hurt, Seedpaw._ Bluemask's bright blue eyes were worried.

_Can't promise that._ Seedpaw shrugged and then quickened her pace to catch up with Eagleclaw. After leaving the tunnel, tall boulders loomed up on either side of her. This was what StoneClan was named for, their rocky territory and tall boulders that surrounded you on either side. Seedpaw usually felt elated to be out of camp, away from her awful Clan, but not with Eagleclaw. He was the one that had made it so awful. Anger coursed through her paws, and Seedpaw locked her eyes firmly on the ground just in front of her to keep from leaping on Eagleclaw's shoulders. She was an excellent fighter for six moons old, besting each and every one of the apprentices in rare battle training in which every apprentice participated. But she was no match for Eagleclaw.

And he didn't know about her amazing battle skills. Seedpaw had been an apprentice only a moon; she had been apprenticed, along with Wolfpaw and Redpaw, when she was only five moons old. Eagleclaw was apprenticing kits earlier and earlier. Fawnpaw was five moons old, and had been apprenticed at four and a half moons.

She suppressed a sigh. She hated seeing such young cats receive clawings from their mentors, or Eagleclaw if their mentors didn't want to, and she hated Eagleclaw for being the one that had started everything. She glanced at the tabby tom in front of her, and hoped that he wouldn't be in a horrible mood. But she knew that he would probably be even fouler than other times because of his anger at the group of cats and their escapade.

When they reached the bottom of Black Cliff, Eagleclaw scanned the steep side before carefully jumping from boulder to boulder. Seedpaw took the riskier route, leaping quickly from one small stone to another. She could feel Eagleclaw glaring angrily at her as she drew far ahead of him, but she ignored it. She was feeling rather rebellious. Seedpaw easily scaled the rest of the steep, dark cliff and leaped up onto the flat, wide top that was the apprentice training area.

When Eagleclaw pulled himself over the top of the ridge, Seedpaw was sitting neatly with her tail wrapped around her paws. Her dappled face showed no emotion.

Eagleclaw shook his head as if clearing it, then snarled, "Hunting training." He kicked forward a small pebble. "This is a blackbird. Stalk it. Pounce on it. Kill it. No mistakes." He loped over to the edge of the plateau and laid down, eyes narrowed as he began to track her moves.

Seedpaw pretended that she was far below, at the bottom of the cliff, where boulders rose up on either side of her. She pretended that her brown and gray pelt blended in perfectly with the rocks and the shadows they cast upon the ground. Then she moved forward, creeping forward so lightly and carefully so as not to disturb the pebbles on the ground and scare away the "blackbird." When she got close enough, she didn't waggle her haunches as cats from the other Clans did. If she did, her shadow would bounce around and alert her prey. Seedpaw gathered power in her back legs and then pushed off in a massive leap, easily landing on the small pebble and giving it a hard swipe on the back, sending it rolling off of Black Cliff.

Eagleclaw rose to his paws and wove around her, but still keeping his distance. She could tell by his flexing claws that he was not pleased with her performance. Seedpaw knew that she would be returning with some pretty bad cuts that day. "First of all," Eagleclaw hissed. "You won't always be among boulders. So if you had been anywhere else, the bird would have flown off before even you knew it was there. Second." He curled his lip. "You waited too long before pouncing. It could have left while you were sitting there staring at it. And third, you don't throw your prey off of a cliff!"

Seedpaw tried not to roll her eyes. _Well, there are only boulders in StoneClan territory, and it's not like I'll be visiting many other places too often, so it's fine to pretend I am among boulders. And I spent only a couple heartbeats before pouncing. And it was a rock, not prey, so who cares if I kicked it off the cliff? Eagleclaw is such a mouse-brain!_

She was knocked out of her thoughts abruptly when the breath was knocked out of her. "Ooph!" she exhaled as she was thrown backward. Before she could blink, Eagleclaw was on top of her with his claws digging into her chest. He dodged to one side, and Seedpaw raised her front paws, managing to give him shallow scratches on his muzzle. His eyes gleamed brighter with anger that she had managed to strike him. But then he moved over quickly and buried his teeth in her foreleg. She shrieked as he raked at her belly with a hind paw.

"Too slow!" he spat at her. Then he clawed down her side once more and sprang away, muttering under his breath. When Seedpaw slowly rose to her paws, he was picking his way back down the side of Black Cliff without even looking back to see if Seedpaw was okay. She sighed and, with blood trickling from her wounds, hopped down the side of the cliff and made her way back to camp carefully and very slowly.

By the time she arrived, the sun had sunk below the horizon. Her wounds were bleeding heavier and she was almost staggering. Nobody in the clearing spared Seedpaw a glance as she stumbled into the apprentice den. Seedpaw saw that Wolfpaw was snoring gently beside Fawnpaw and Redpaw. She was relieved to see that Redpaw was the only one with wounds, but they were tiny scratches and there were only a few of them dotting his pelt. When she reached her nest between Wolfpaw and Fawnpaw, she collapsed in it. She was too exhausted to go to Goldenfur to get herbs for her wounds or even lick herself off. Then, suddenly, she heard soft footsteps and felt someone rasping their tongue over her wounds gently.

She opened her eyes to see the face of Berrypaw, the medicine cat apprentice. Berrypaw was licking the blood out of her fur, eyes narrowed in concentration. Then he chewed up some herbs and trickled their healing juices into her scratches. They stung for a moment before bringing a soothing feeling to Seedpaw. "What're you doing?" she meowed tiredly. "You'll be punished if Eagleclaw sees you helping me."

He shrugged. "I saw you come into camp. I can't stand watching apprentices walk in, day after day, with injuries all over them…" He trailed off as he plastered a layer of cobwebs over her cuts to keep the herb juices in. Seedpaw suddenly realized that the clawings were probably taking a toll on Berrypaw, too. His face looked strained, and she understood that treating apprentices for wounds every day, usually from their own mentors, must be tough. When Berrypaw rose to his paws, he mewed quietly, "You'll be fine, just try to not go out of camp tomorrow."

Seedpaw mumbled a thank you as he left the apprentice cave. She blearily curled up, feeling a bit better, and closed her eyes. Blackness claimed her within moments.


	6. Chapter 5: Heatherpaw

**Hello, everyone! I beg your forgiveness for my super-duper lateness, I'm so sorry! I had a science project, tons of homework (apparently my teachers don't want me to write), and... okay, there really is no good excuse, so you have permission to be angry at me, just don't use strong language! Anyways, I think this chapter is exceedingly long for no good reason, and I think it is extremely boring, but I had some serious writers' block so I needed a kind of "fill" chappie so I have time to think up what I want to do next. Enjoy, my very few readers!**

Heatherpaw sniffed deeply among the tall reeds at the edge of the river. She smelled nothing but the earthy plant scent, LeafClan border marks, and BreezeClan border marks floating from across the river.

She raised her head in frustration and looked around. Spottedstar was at the edge of the trees, sniffing at their bases, while Nightclaw, the deputy, was crouched precariously on a high branch, sweeping her sharp gaze around the whole area. Silverwind was poking and prodding among the reeds not far away from her.

Heatherpaw suppressed a worried sigh. Pinepaw had been missing for a whole day now. He had disappeared the day before, around sunset, and now it was sunset again, and they seemed no closer to finding him. She looked over at Spottedstar. His eyes gleamed with determination, but his fur was ruffled and his pawsteps were slow and dragging. He was obviously exhausted. Spottedstar had been up since dawn the previous day, and hadn't rested at all since.

Just as Heatherpaw padded forward to go investigate a hollow log lodged in the riverbank, Silverwind jerked his head up suddenly. Mud coated his nose from pressing it so close to the ground, but his eyes were excited. "I smell something," he meowed.

Nightclaw shimmied down the tree. Then Heatherpaw, Nightclaw, and Spottedstar all trotted over to Silverwind. "Is it him, Silverwind?" Spottedstar asked quietly. Even his voice sounded slow and tired.

Nightclaw cast a stern but anxious glance at the leader. "Spottedstar, you shouldn't be on this search patrol. You've been on every one since Pinepaw disappeared last night, and you haven't gotten any sleep."

Spottedstar shook his head stubbornly. "An apprentice of our Clan is missing. That is enough to keep me from my sleep."

Silverwind had wandered toward a large holly thicket that was right in between the river bank and the edge of the forest. "Hey!" he called out. "I smell him, from somewhere by the holly bush thicket." He glanced around, and suddenly his ears flattened against his head in shock. "There's blood," he meowed. "So much blood, right there by the bank. Pinepaw must be injured."

Heatherpaw ran over to where Silverwind was looking. Her heart sank when she realized that he was right; it was dried and mixed in with the mud, but the unmistakable scarlet of blood showed through. There were drag marks, and after looking closely, Heatherpaw made out a thick blood trail that was well hidden in the flattened grass. They hadn't noticed it before because it was concealed, and the blood scent had disappeared because it had dried.

"What could have made him bleed so much?" Heatherpaw murmured.

The three warriors, who had appeared beside her to take in the bloody ground, simply shook their heads. Then Silverwind backed away from the group and headed toward the holly thicket. Heatherpaw plunged ahead of him, unable to bear the suspense any longer. She shoved her head inside, along with her shoulders, to get a better look inside.

The first thing she noticed was the awful, salty reek that filled the stuffy thicket. Blood was spattered all over the earth floor, but brighter, not as dry. She peered closer at the far, leafy wall, and saw a dark dappled brown among the branches that didn't quite fit in. Heatherpaw reached out and pulled aside the branches, and couldn't help but gasp when she saw Pinepaw.

But the limp body before her didn't look like Pinepaw.

Broken. Bloody. Torn.

_Is he dead?_ All of these thoughts frantically raced through her mind as she pulled backward out of the bushes. She didn't even notice the sharp branches that raked into her skin. Heatherpaw wriggled the rest of the way out, and emerged to see the rest of the patrol staring at her. "Quick," she cried out. "Pinepaw's in there, and he's hurt!"

The whole patrol shoved inside, each cat making their own way through the bushes and into the center. It was crowded, which only made the blood scent that much more noticeable, but Heatherpaw didn't care. She stared wordlessly at the motionless apprentice, as did the others, until Nightclaw spoke up.

"Spottedstar, you don't think he's…" Nightclaw trembled, and Spottedstar pressed against her comfortingly.

Silverwind managed to choke out, "He was so young."

Heatherpaw crouched down, unable to bear the thought of Pinepaw being dead. She took in his battered body, looking over each little scratch and gash. Blood soaked his belly fur and the top of his left hind leg. His left forepaw was twisted, and his right eye was slightly swollen. His fur was ruffled and clotted with large clumps of dried blood. But the most noticeable injury was his shoulder. There was bare patch, and in the center a gaping hole with jagged edges. Raw, red flesh showed through, and a huge patch of blood extended from the wound all the way down to his paw, and right over his other shoulder to the other side of his body. It looked revolting, and so, so painful.

Heatherpaw whispered in a distraught voice, "No. No, Pinepaw." _You can't be dead, I love you. _And in that second she realized that her thought was true. She had only thought that it was a little crush, when he had made that speech about the StoneClan cats and then come back on the hunting patrol with the only piece of prey. It had been impressive; he had been an apprentice for a little more than a quarter moon and was already one of the best hunters in the Clan. But now that Heatherpaw thought about it, she realized that she did love him. He was kind, modest, and willing to stand up for what he thought was right, which only added to his spirited, brave, and energetic personality. His green eyes were always twinkling with emotion. It was always so easy to tell what Pinepaw was thinking, but that was what Heatherpaw liked about him. He didn't care what others knew about his feelings, because he had nothing to hide. She did, truly, love him, just because he was perhaps the best cat she had ever known. But now Pinepaw would never know that, and she would never know what life with him could have been like, because he was gone.

Even though Heatherpaw knew it was hopeless, she reached out with a forepaw, to feel if there was anything, the tiniest bit of warmth coming from him, the smallest spark of life, the littlest pulse of his heart beneath his skin. Her paw had barely touched the fur on his flank when the body tensed and a whimper split the silence. Thin slits of his dark green eyes could just be seen as his eyes flicked open, but then closed again.

Suddenly, everyone was crying out at once, but Heatherpaw didn't fully comprehend the words because elation filled her from ears to tail-tip, glee that Pinepaw was alive. She heard something about a fox trap, and looked toward the far corner of the thicket. Her ears flicked straight up with surprise when she saw a shiny, metal fox trap dangling from the edge of a thick branch. In its jaws it clutched a lump of bloody, brown fur.

When she looked back over at Pinepaw, she saw that Spottedstar had maneuvered around so he could crouch in front of the apprentice. "Pinepaw!" he meowed fiercely. "Pinepaw, can you open your eyes?"

The apprentice shoved open his eyes just enough that his pupil was visible. Spottedstar's eyes were filled with anger, and Pinepaw seemed to see it, too, because he flinched away when the leader reached to rest his tail on Pinepaw's good shoulder. Pinepaw wailed abruptly when he moved, and it looked like Spottedstar was trying to shove down the flames of rage within his eyes when he realized Pinepaw's terror. "Pinepaw," he said quietly and gently. "I won't hurt you. Now, you have to tell me. Who did this to you?"

Heatherpaw was confused by Spottedstar's words. Why was he asking who had hurt Pinepaw? What if Pinepaw had just had some sort of awful accident? But when she examined his injuries better, she saw that many of them had the clean but sharp sort of edge that was left from a cat's claws. Then, in her mind, she saw Pinepaw flinching away from Spottedstar's tail and the panic that had momentarily flashed from him. Heatherpaw's heart clenched with pity and pure wrath when she realized that Pinepaw had been attacked, that someone had deliberately put him in this condition.

She moved closer along with Nightclaw and Silverwind as Spottedstar told Pinepaw that he could tell them, and they wouldn't let anyone hurt him. Pinepaw's eyes were beginning to droop down, and his jaws parted just enough to form a single name.

"Brackenpaw."

Then Pinepaw's eyelids fluttered closed. It took Heatherpaw a moment to process the name that had just dropped from his mouth, but when she did, she was utterly bewildered. Brackenpaw, her fellow apprentice, the one that had a big crush on her, the one that seemed to always be in the mood for a prank, Spottedstar's apprentice?

"Why, in the name of StarClan, would Pinepaw think that _Brackenpaw_ did this?" Nightclaw's voice was full of undisguised disbelief. Spottedstar nodded his head in agreement, slowly, as if he too was wondering why Pinepaw would say the name of someone Spottedstar was mentoring.

Silverwind looked up, and Heatherpaw was shocked by the anger smoldering in his usually kind blue eyes. "I believe it," he growled. "Think about it, really think about it. Brackenpaw was out the night that Pinepaw disappeared, because I saw him returning with a mouse just after sunset. He's also been giving Pinepaw dirty looks over the past couple days, but I just thought it was a usual apprentice grudge. And hasn't every search patrol Brackenpaw has been on been led away from this area?" His eyes glinted. "Brackenpaw has been on almost every patrol, seeming to work extra hard. But I remember yesterday, we started to head this way, when Brackenpaw raced off in the other direction saying he thought he had caught a scent. He knew that if he dumped Pinepaw in the river, he would be carried over here, which is why he's been making sure that nobody has come this way."

Heatherpaw suddenly found herself nodding in agreement. "Pinepaw doesn't lie," she mewed quietly, unable to take her eyes off of the injured apprentice. "And, now that I think about it, I saw Brackenpaw get up in Pinepaw's face a couple nights ago. I was just entering the apprentice den, and I only saw it out of the corner of my eye, so I didn't make much of it because I wasn't really sure. But now I remember hearing hisses, and I think it was Brackenpaw talking to Pinepaw."

Spottedstar sighed and heaved himself to his paws, as if weighed down with the burden of the fact that his very own apprentice may have tortured Pinepaw. "Well," he meowed, "we will have to see what Brackenpaw has to say for himself. Silverwind, come with me. We have to go get Rosefur to treat Pinepaw. He can't be moved in this state." Spottedstar moved to leave, but Silverwind remained crouched in his original position.

Silverwind looked Spottedstar straight in the eye. "That's not a good idea, Spottedstar," he said bluntly. "If I see Brackenpaw, I might get the urge to rip his throat out. I'll stay here."

Spottedstar cast him a stern glance, but he didn't reprimand the young warrior with words. There was no way to know yet what Brackenpaw had or hadn't done. Nightclaw squeezed past Spottedstar and said loudly, "Don't just stand there, you bee-brain! He could be dying right now, and we've been standing here talking about something that isn't the most important part of the issue. He needs a medicine cat, _now._"

Heatherpaw was surprised by Nightclaw's orders to the leader, but he didn't protest and they shot out of the thicket. Suddenly, Nightclaw's words sank in. _He could be dying right now…_ She then realized that it was true; the four of them had been discussing Brackenpaw while Pinepaw was still fighting for life. Perhaps it had been because the fact that Pinepaw would even say the name Brackenpaw was so shocking.

Heatherpaw shook her head to clear her thoughts, and that was when she realized Silverwind had moved closer to Pinepaw and was gently rubbing off the blood on his fur with a paw. "Rosefur will never be able to see where one scratch begins and another ends with so much blood on him," he murmured, more to himself than Heatherpaw. She moved toward Pinepaw and copied Silverwind, licking a paw and then carefully wiping away dry clots of scarlet. After the stain next to Heatherpaw where she had repeatedly wiped her paw to get the blood off became thick and almost as big as her head, her entire being went numb.

Pinepaw had lost so much blood, and she was still cleaning off his left flank. Silverwind was on the other side now, wiping at his right hind leg. How would Pinepaw survive when he had so much blood that wasn't inside his body?

Suddenly, Heatherpaw heard a slight breath, and she looked at Pinepaw's face, but his eyes weren't open. Then she realized that his jaws were slightly parted, and his breathing had changed drastically from a few moments ago. Originally, it had been light but steady. Now, it was labored but shallow, and it rasped gently in his throat. His flanks heaved as this new, uneven breathing continued. Heatherpaw's heart clenched.

_No, no, no. Pinepaw, don't do this. Don't die now, after you've been through so much._

Silverwind gently pressed a pad to the apprentice's forehead. "He has a fever," he meowed anxiously. "When is Rosefur going to get here?" He turned to look at Heatherpaw, and the distress in his eyes matched the way she felt. She, too, was beginning to wonder where Rosefur was.

As she thought of it, she suddenly heard the sound of quick pawsteps and gentle panting. "I am _not_ as fit as I used to be," came a wheezy voice. It was Rosefur, Heatherpaw realized. Rosefur stopped speaking for a moment, and the sound of multiple sets of pawsteps stopped abruptly outside the thicket. "Spottedstar, Nightclaw," Rosefur meowed, seeming to have caught her breath, "you stay out here. From what you've told me, it will be crowded enough with Heatherpaw and Silverwind in there already. Tumblepaw, you can come inside with me." There was a momentary shuffling as the cats began to pick up herbs.

Heatherpaw and Silverwind exchanged glances. Rosefur had brought her brand new apprentice, who hadn't even been training for three days yet? She was going to subject the poor, young tom to the horrors of Pinepaw's condition when he barely knew anything about herbs and hadn't treated anyone yet? Silverwind seemed to agree with her, because when Rosefur's head suddenly appeared and she dropped a pile of herbs on the floor, he rushed forward and blocked her.

"Don't bring Tumblepaw in here," he meowed urgently to the brown tabby she-cat. "He shouldn't see a cat injured like this yet; I know he's your apprentice but he's not ready for anything like this yet."

Rosefur hesitated, then called back to Tumblepaw quietly, "Change of plans. Why don't you stay out there? It's way too crowded in here." There was a disappointed mumble, but then a loud rustle as Tumblepaw pulled out of the holly thicket.

Rosefur awkwardly pushed all the way into the center of the thicket, took one look at the red-stained floor, and gasped. "Is he really that badly injured? Spottedstar told me it was awful, but I did not imagine anything like this." She picked up her huge bundle of herbs.

Silverwind's face was grim. "Well, then you better take a look at Pinepaw." He spun Rosefur toward the corner, and Heatherpaw could tell that the medicine cat was trying to keep from gulping in horror when she saw Pinepaw splayed awkwardly on the floor. Heatherpaw reluctantly scooted away so that Rosefur had room to examine Pinepaw.

Rosefur gently placed the herbs down on the floor beside Pinepaw and sniffed at his face. She maneuvered around Pinepaw, taking in all of his injuries and the thick layers of dried blood on the floor that Silverwind and Heatherpaw had cleaned off.

"So, you cleaned him off? That blood was on him?" she meowed quietly, flicking her ear at the blood layers. Heatherpaw and Silverwind nodded silently. Rosefur continued to circle him, murmuring aloud as she did so. "Broken left forepaw, deep gash above the right eye, cuts on the chest and left flank, long cuts along the right flank…" She trailed off, and looked over at Heatherpaw and Silverwind, who were crouching with horror in their eyes as she listed Pinepaw's numerous injuries. "You two don't have to stay, you know," she said. "I don't want to scare you, but it helps me to say the wounds out loud…it can give me an idea of what happened."

Silverwind looked at his paws uncertainly, as if the idea of leaving appealed to him. Heatherpaw remained utterly still, determined not to move. She wanted to know as much as she could about Pinepaw's injuries. She wanted to know how bad they were, everything. Whoever had done it would pay dearly. When Silverwind saw Heatherpaw's resolute face, he shook his head at Rosefur, signaling that they would stay.

Rosefur dipped her head in acknowledgment, before restarting her restless circling. She placed a paw on part of a gash that started above Pinepaw's left hind leg and led underneath his belly. Rosefur bent down and slowly, and extremely gently, rolled Pinepaw onto his side so his left flank was easy to see. Heatherpaw's eyes widened when she saw the two long, wide gashes that stretched the length of Pinepaw's stomach, one leading to the gash above his hind leg. Rosefur, too, looked appalled at the wounds. But then she moved onto his shoulder, which still had a huge, dried clump of blood spread in a circle around the gaping wound.

"StarClan help me, that's bad," Rosefur mumbled. She smeared some of the blood away to get a better look at the wound. Heatherpaw became confused when Rosefur glanced back and forth between the fox trap hanging from the branch in the opposite corner, and back to Pinepaw's shoulder. Sudden dawning appeared on the medicine cat's face, but she didn't say anything. Rosefur moved to the side slightly, then reached down toward Pinepaw's wound with her mouth. Heatherpaw became even more baffled, but suddenly saw a small glint on Pinepaw's shoulder. Rosefur opened her mouth and slowly but neatly pulled the glinty object out of the wound. She spat it on the floor in front of Silverwind and Heatherpaw, and they saw that it was long and pointy, coated in thick scarlet at the end.

"This," Rosefur explained, flicking her tail at the silver shard, "is one of the teeth from the fox trap." Heatherpaw peered closer at the fox trap, and saw that one of the sharp points was indeed missing. Rosefur continued, "The fox trap embedded in Pinepaw's shoulder. When Pinepaw came into the thicket, he must have known that leaving it there would mean certain death. So, he must've somehow wedged the trap on the branch and pulled away so forcefully that the trap came out, but one of the teeth broke off and stayed in his shoulder."

Silverwind's face was shocked. "That sounds so painful," he murmured.

Rosefur sighed. "Yes, I cannot imagine the pain he went through. But his shoulder…" she trailed off and glanced back at Pinepaw, whose breathing was still uneven. "His shoulder is shattered. I felt a whole bunch of bones out of place, and a lot of them are broken. There is no way to truly repair that. He also has a chill and a bad fever, because I think he must have been in the river. He must have come somewhere from Willowcreek, in order to be carried here. Then the stream carried him into the river, where there a lot of rocks…" Her voice faltered again, and her eyes took on a hint of deep, deep sorrow and grief. "He must have hit so many, which only hurt him more." Rosefur sighed and looked down at the floor, as if lost in thought.

Heatherpaw found her voice, but she wasn't yet over the panic and pure outrage that had filled her. "So, you're saying that after he was _mauled,_ and had a fox trap put on his shoulder, he was dropped into the freezing cold water?" she snarled. Silverwind placed a tail on her shoulder soothingly, and she realized that her fur had fluffed up.

Rosefur looked up, and her face was full of grief. "I am beyond any hope that Pinepaw will survive. I'm sorry." Then she pulled away and set to work pulling apart the pile of herbs. Silverwind and Heatherpaw took it as the signal to leave, and they quietly backed out of the thicket as they processed everything Rosefur had said.

Silverwind made it all the way out of the thicket first, but Heatherpaw caught sight of a small glinty object caught on a branch. She drifted a little closer to it, and flinched away when she saw that it was another pointy tooth from the fox trap that must have broken off when Pinepaw dragged himself inside the thicket. As she started to pull out again, the faintest scent hit her nose. It was barely even a scent, but more like a tickling at the roof of her mouth and in her nose. Normally, she wouldn't have been able to identify the smell, but the cat it belonged to had been made an apprentice along with her, slept in a nest next to her in the den, and currently had a huge crush on her, so she didn't even have to think before the name popped into her head.

_Brackenpaw._

Hot, red rage boiled within her, so strong that a red haze began to appear in front of her. She could feel a growl deep within her chest threatening to burst out, but she shoved it back and forced herself to calm down.

When she was all the way out of the thicket, she saw that Silverwind had plopped down beside Tumblepaw, Nightclaw, and Spottedstar. "Rosefur doesn't think Pinepaw will make it," he was meowing sadly as she padded over stiffly. Silverwind turned to look at her, and his eyes widened. "Heatherpaw, what's wrong?"

The golden apprentice no longer bothered hiding her feelings. She allowed herself to bare her teeth and snarl. "I smelled him. He did it, he tortured Pinepaw."

Spottedstar stood up. "Who?" he demanded.

"Brackenpaw!" she exclaimed. "I know his scent well enough. Now, instead of sitting here and waiting for StarClan-knows-what, can we please go back to camp and figure out something to do with that idiotic, mangy, fox-hearted fleabag before I storm into camp myself and rip him to shreds?" She unsheathed her claws and dug them into the ground; Heatherpaw was having serious issues keeping still and not dashing off to camp.

Spottedstar glared at her angrily. "No one is going to rip anyone to shreds, but yes, we can go back to camp." He rose to his paws, and called into the thicket, "Rosefur, we're going back to camp now. I'll send someone to stand watch as soon as we get back." An affirmative grunt came from the thicket, and then Spottedstar galloped into the trees, closely followed by the others.

Heatherpaw raced beside Spottedstar; she knew that in her outrage, she could easily outrun the older cat and make to camp with still minutes to spare, but she knew she would get in serious trouble for arriving at camp and probably attacking Brackenpaw with no one to stop her. Instead, Heatherpaw contented herself with tearing apart every frostbitten, crackly leaf, which must have been nowhere near as icy as Brackenpaw's soul, into tiny pieces, and pretending that she was really digging her claws into his face and his shoulders, so that he could suffer as much pain as Pinepaw had gone through.

It was going to be long day.

**Please, I want at least 2 or 3 reviews before I post the next chapter? Please click the little blue button down there if you want to read more! I'm keeping the number of reviews fairly low because apparently so very few people read the story, but whatever, because apparently I am a slowpoke and take forever to write, so I guess that's fair. Or is it? Hm... I'm confusing myself. Anyways, REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 6: Duststar

**Hey, everyone! Again, I feel this is really late, and the next chappie probably will, too, so please be patient! Anyways, this chappie takes place the morning of the day that Brackenpaw attacks Pinepaw.**

The tom stared listlessly at the wall of his den. Everything looked fuzzy, and he wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. He blinked his pale green eyes slowly, yawning and scratching an itch he had on his flank with a hind paw. He wondered about what day it was, but couldn't seem to remember. Was Eagleclaw the deputy, or Nettlefoot, who was deputy before Eagleclaw?

_How many lives do I have left? _the tom thought confusedly. _Do I have kits? Is Lilynose still alive? _

The tom was becoming more and more frustrated but couldn't remember. Nothing seemed clear. Suddenly, his ears picked up the faint sound of rustling at the entrance of ivy tendrils. He thought he could hear a faint voice, but his old ears couldn't pick up the words, so he simply grunted and turned toward the entrance.

A cat stepped inside carefully through the ivy, and the tom's vision cleared for just a moment as the cat let in a bright beam of sunshine which lit up the newcomer's gold pelt a dark orange. The tom tipped his head to the side. He rose to his paws unsteadily and squinted. "Lilynose?" he mumbled. "Is it you? I thought you were dead."

The cat blinked for a moment, seeming confused, then smiled warmly. "No, it's not Lilynose, it's me," the cat meowed slowly, and the tom realized that the cat was a tom, not his kind, golden Lilynose, his loyal mate… Everything began to go fuzzy again.

"Duststar," the golden tom said, stepping closer and resting his thick tail across the brown tom's shoulders. "It's me."

Duststar pulled away, sitting down and staring at the golden tom. He had a wide, dark gold face with broad shoulders and long, muscled legs. Duststar felt like he should know this tom, but couldn't think of a name. Wait, hadn't the golden tom just said his name? He had said, 'it's me,' so Duststar thought that was his name. He said out loud, "Well, Me, that's quite a silly name you got there!"

Duststar chuckled, and barely heard the sigh that came from Me. "No," the tom rumbled, stepping closer. "My name is Goldenfur. I'm the StoneClan medicine cat." He pushed his face just a bit closer. "Do you remember me?"

Duststar was still busy laughing, but managed to get out hoarsely, "Not really." Suddenly, memories came flooding back. A little golden kit, sitting outside the nursery while his siblings played, staring at the medicine cat cave as Grouseclaw, the former medicine cat, mixed a heap of herbs together. He, Duststar, stepping forward on Tallstone in the center of camp and naming Goldenkit Goldenpaw, apprenticing him to Grouseclaw to be trained as a medicine cat. Then, he remembered naming Berrypaw as Goldenfur's apprentice. His head began to hurt with all the memories. "Actually, I do remember. I do know you, never mind," he meowed slowly, beginning to stare off into space.

Goldenfur pushed forward a small bundle of leaves, along with a juicy looking little squirrel. "Eat the squirrel, then your morning herbs," he urged. Duststar didn't protest, and quickly devoured the squirrel and barely waited for it to go down before gulping down the herbs. He thought that Goldenfur had once told him that they were for clearing his head and taking away the pain in his limbs, or were they for clearing his moss bed and taking away his swims? He couldn't remember, yet again, and took to looking at the wall again.

"It's a nice day out, Duststar," Goldenfur meowed, patting at Duststar's moss nest gently. "Why don't you come outside to get some fresh air?"

Happiness rushed through Duststar suddenly, and he wasn't sure why. He began to babble, "Nice day, yes, nice day. It's newleaf, is it not? Oh, I would love to see flowers, and some gleaming pebbles and stones outside camp. Are there any flowers yet, my friend?"

Goldenfur sat beside him. "No," he said gently. "It is newleaf, but it's been snowing a lot recently, remember? Today is sunny but very chilly."

Duststar frowned. "No flowers? That's very mouse-brained."

Goldenfur nodded. "It is mouse-brained, I agree. StarClan should give us some flowers. I am also low on herbs."

The brown tom's eyes widened. "Uh oh," he fretted. "What if cats get sick?"

"They won't, all of our Clanmates are healthy. Now, what if we go for a walk in camp?" Goldenfur asked kindly.

Duststar smiled cluelessly. "Why not?" he meowed. "Let's go for that walk, Goldenpelt. I mean, Goldenfu…Golden…" He frowned again, trying to fix the name in his head, but was unsuccessful.

"It's Golden_fur_," the medicine cat said, annunciating each syllable clearly. "Yes, yes, Goldenfur," Duststar muttered. Then the medicine cat led the way out of the den, and the brown tom followed, with a little bit of aches spreading throughout his legs. He didn't mind, though, because his aches seemed to lessen when he emerged into the sunlight. Goldenfur had been right, it was bright but chilly out. He stretched a bit just outside the den, allowing his thin, patchy fur to ripple along his thin frame, before following Goldenfur down the sloping hill of rock in front of his den.

When they reached the bottom, Goldenfur dipped his head to a few cats sitting around the freshkill pile in the center of the clearing, and Duststar did the same, not wanting to be left out of the greeting. He trotted along behind Goldenfur, admiring the rich luster of his Clanmates' pelts and their strong muscles. If he could remember correctly, which he often did not, many of the cats of other Clans at the last Gathering had been thin and gaunt. But not his Clan, they were strong and powerful. He smiled crookedly, and kept up a steady stream of happy babble as he walked past his friends, although he wasn't quite sure who was who, because after looking through the crowd of pelts multiple times the fur colors blurred together and he couldn't match faces to names. But still, Duststar felt happy, even though some of the cats simply ignored him or cast dirty glares at him. Goldenfur led Duststar over to the shade of a nearby boulder at the edge of camp. Duststar saw that a group of five cats was sitting beneath the overhang.

_Well, let's see…that's Eagleclaw, my nice loyal deputy. Those other four cats are…_ Duststar tried to think of who they were, but couldn't, and then realized that an unfamiliar smell hung about these cats. They weren't from StoneClan! His nostrils twitched and one side of his muzzle curled into a growl. He bounded forward a bit clumsily, almost tripping over his paws, and stopped in front of the group of cats, growling. "Who are you?" he grumbled dangerously. "What are you doing to my deputy?"

None of the cats looked impressed with his display of hostility, and simply stared at him disinterestedly. Eagleclaw smiled slightly and patted the ground beside him. "Come and sit, my friend," he meowed kindly. Duststar immediately relaxed. Eagleclaw didn't look like the cats were bothering him, so Duststar smiled absentmindedly and happily plopped down beside his deputy.

"This is Duststar," Eagleclaw informed the other four cats. "He's the leader of our Clan." Duststar purred nicely at them, trying to focus on the visitors. He saw one cat lean over to another and whisper, and Duststar picked up the words a little. "That skinny brown thing is the leader?"

Duststar tried to process the statement and looked around for anything that could help. Then, he realized that right behind him was a thin, brown branch. He chuckled; the silly cats thought the _stick_ was the leader! He pulled the stick in front of him and began to talk slowly, as if he was talking to very young kits. "No, the stick isn't the leader! I'm the leader. This," he said, poking the branch with a paw, "is just a stick. See? It doesn't do anything, it's completely nonliving and without a mind. It wouldn't be able to govern a Clan." He smiled lopsidedly at the cats, and they all stared at him with wide eyes like he had lost his mind, which he was pretty sure he hadn't. They were the ones that had thought a stick was the Clan leader.

Eagleclaw cleared his throat awkwardly, before turning to Duststar and continuing. "These cats are hoping to stay with the Clan. This is Falcon," he meowed, nodding at a stocky dark brown tom, "Elise," flicking his tail at a white-and-black she-cat, "Maggie," gesturing to a brownish-red little she-cat, "and their leader, Rone." Rone was a tall, gray-and-black brindle tom with sharp blue eyes.

"How do you do?" Rone meowed curtly to Duststar.

"Quite well," Duststar replied boisterously. "Thank you for asking."

Falcon spoke firmly. "Sir, we wish to join your Clan. We will help hunt, and fight if need be. One day, we hope to earn our warrior names. Eagleclaw has already agreed."

Duststar felt hurt. "Eagleclaw, you agreed without my consent?" he asked, facing his deputy with wide eyes.

Eagleclaw flicked him over the ear gently with his tail. "I was going to ask you anyway, Duststar. Besides, your final decision is all that really matters."

Duststar relaxed. "Yes, yes, I suppose you're right." The leader felt that something was wrong with these cats. Their pelts seemed too groomed for loners, their expressions too cold and ambitious, and their eyes too bright with hunger, but for what, Duststar wasn't sure. But if Eagleclaw had agreed, then he figured that the cats must be very nice. "I trust you, Eagleclaw. Of course they can stay! RockClan will welcome-"

Eagleclaw abruptly cut him off and leaned close to whisper in Duststar's ear. "StoneClan," he meowed gently. "It's StoneClan."

Duststar frowned and stammered on. "Yes, well, StoneClan will welcome anyone that wishes to join it."

Rone nodded stiffly, and began to speak with Eagleclaw for a few moments, but Duststar was staring happily at a small leaf that was twirling through the sky far above. He didn't hear their words, only blinking stupidly at the little frosted leaf. Suddenly, a breeze swept it away, out of his range of vision and away from the camp. He grunted, and muttered something he was pretty sure was about how the wind couldn't let him have any fun and be able to look at the pretty leaf and the way it spun and fluttered through the air. When he looked up again, Rone and his cats were by the freshkill pile, speaking to the cats already gathered there. Eagleclaw and Goldenfur were conferring quietly by the overhang, and Duststar drifted a little closer to listen.

"…condition is deteriorating rapidly. This morning, he thought I was Lilynose, his dead mate," Goldenfur was meowing.

Eagleclaw nodded sadly. "It's like he can't think for himself anymore."

Almost immediately, their words disappeared in his mind and he couldn't remember what they had said, but he did remember the name Lilynose.

He padded over to them. "What about Lilynose?" he asked pleasantly. "Is she here?" He looked around, trying to find her golden pelt among the throng of cats wandering about the clearing.

Eagleclaw shared a glance with Goldenfur, before rising to his paws and sighing. Then he smiled widely at Duststar and pressed his nose momentarily into Duststar's fur. "Have a good day, my friend," he meowed kindly before padding away.

Duststar stared after him, but suddenly couldn't remember the name of the tom padding away from him.

_Funny, I thought I just knew his name, but I guess not. Maybe I should go introduce him to the Clan…_ Duststar started to walk after the tom, but then he forgot what he was going to do and stopped, baffled. Suddenly, Goldenfur appeared beside him. "Why don't we go back to your den now, Duststar?" he asked slowly. "You look tired; you can take a nap." He rested his tail on Duststar's back and guided him toward the leader's den at the top of the rock slope.

"But I'm not sleepy," Duststar protested. "Can we go see some flowers now, Goldenfur? And the sun is still out, why are we going inside?" The medicine cat seemed not to hear him, and led Duststar into his den. He gently nudged Duststar with his nose toward his mossy nest.

"I think I saw Redpaw come in here while we were outside," Goldenfur said. "I believe he changed your bedding, so your nest should be soft and clean. Why don't you take a rest?"

Duststar nodded absentmindedly. Everything was fuzzy, yet again. He slowly trudged over to the nest and flopped down, tucking his nose under his tail. He thought he heard Goldenfur say something about seeing him later with more herbs, or did he say he was feeling greater with some disturbed? Everything faded from Duststar's mind as darkness covered him. His dreams were filled with a scarlet spattered clearing of stones, lined with boulders at the edges. The shredded body of a rabbit lay at the edge of the clearing, and suddenly an awful reek filled his nose. Black and white fur flashed at the edge of his vision, and a huge paw connected with the side of his head. Duststar felt himself flung into a boulder, blood flowing from the side of his head. Everything started to blur together, but not before he saw Lilynose burst into the clearing, still chuckling about their walk together and how Duststar had tripped flat on his face. Still relaxed. Not noticing the creature that would be her last sight.

Suddenly, her bright eyes widened with terror as the badger lumbered toward her. Duststar tried to struggle to his paws, to save his beautiful mate, but his paws wouldn't work correctly and he slithered back onto the stones helplessly. His eyes threatened to close, but again not before he saw what he didn't want to see, what he didn't want to happen, what he wished were happening to him right then, not Lilynose.

The badger lunged on Lilynose while she was frozen with shock. It buried its teeth in her back, and blood spurted into the air, splashing onto the ground. It shook her like a piece of fresh-kill, and then dropped her on the ground. She moaned weakly and attempted to drag herself forward, but then the badger plunged down upon one of her hind legs with both of its paws. It snapped, and Duststar thought he could just make out bone poking out of her leg.

A wild shriek ripped its way out of Lilynose's throat, but it was abruptly cut off as the badger fastened its fangs deep into her neck. An awful gurgling sound then pierced the air, and Lilynose's back arched, legs flailing madly as she tried to escape the grip. What was worse, the badger raised her higher in the air and shook her as hard as it could. It smacked her on the ground, and then flung her against a boulder. But still, it didn't release her.

Duststar could only watch as it swung with impossible force across the clearing his beautiful Lilynose. She flew through the air, still choking, and struck the top of a boulder with an awful, shattering crunch. However, she didn't slide down to the ground. Instead, she lay draped on top of the stone like she had gotten caught on it, with scarlet running down the sides of it. The badger, growling, stalked over toward the boulder and raised its paw. With a massive paw, it prodded her almost gently, but the small touch was enough to send her slowly tumbling down the side of the rock until she landed on the rocky ground with a sickening thud on her side. The badger approached again.

_No, _Duststar thought miserably. _Haven't you done enough to her?_

However, the badger only bent to sniff her, gave her one last smack with a paw, and when she didn't move or make a noise, it grunted in satisfaction.

It walked away, making loud barks and noises as it stomped away over the stones, dragging the dead rabbit along with it. The moment it disappeared from Duststar's blurry sight, Lilynose spluttered the tiniest bit and amazingly raised her head, but then trembled and convulsed horribly as her flanks heaved and she struggled for a final breath. Her jaws parted, her nostrils flaring. And then it all stopped. A small clatter of pebbles resounded throughout the clearing as her whole body relaxed and her head dropped to the ground, small stones rolling away beneath her.

Duststar looked into the eyes of Lilynose. They were wide open, but empty and dull. Blood formed a pool around her head. Dried scarlet and foam crusted her open mouth, and he could see the deep, wide gash in her throat, the shattered bones that poked out of her side, and the tooth marks in her spine that had caused her death. Her claws were filled with clumps of sleek black and white fur, which were quickly turning red as the puddle of blood spread even more and washed around her splayed, limp paws. It soaked deep into her once-gleaming golden coat. A mournful shriek tore its way out of Duststar, but then his head pounded and darkness clouded over him.

Suddenly, the dream changed drastically. It was full of Lilynose, but it was the way she looked before the badger had mauled her, before her back, her muzzle, her face, and the stones around her had been soaked in blood. He was surrounded with soft gold fur, deep amber eyes, a honey smooth meow, kind laughter, and the scent of Lilynose's sweet breath upon his face.

**Oh, poor Duststar. His life is so...vague. One can't help but feel bad for him, right? Anyways, you kind of see that the trauma of watching Lilynose die may have contributed greatly to his issues, I guess you can call them. Please review! **


	8. Chapter 7

**Well, I'm just going to tell you now that this chappie will be split in two. The first half will be from Pinepaw's POV, and the second half will be from someone else's POV.**

**Some people are getting confused over what the orders of the POVs are so I'll explain it: Every chapter with an even number will be from the POV of any cat (it can be anybody from any Clan, or maybe even a rogue, loner, or kittypet). Every chapter with an odd number will be from Pinepaw's POV, but since in Chapter 5, Pinepaw was unconscious and, like, in a coma, I figured it would be pretty boring if I did a whole chapter on how he was floating in darkness. So I did it from Heatherpaw's POV instead.**

**And I might start titling the chapters with the name or names of the characters whose POV will be featured in that chapter. So, I hope that cleared things up.**

**Now, in this chapter, I'm taking a crapload of creativeness with StarClan, and I know that none of it is true, but just go with it. And hey, it's my story, why can't StarClan work the way I want it to? ****J**

_One moment, pure darkness, so dark that it was beyond black, had been surrounding him, pressing in on him in a comfortable way, and the next moment the darkness became a dazzling gleam of whiteness. His head pounded with the sudden shift to such extreme light, and he had to blink several times for his vision to clear. As the light dimmed slightly, he got a better view of his surroundings._

_Springy, thick green grass cushioned his paws, and the tiniest bit of mist wafted around him, brushing against his flanks and face. His whiskers twitched at the warm breeze blowing from in front of him. Far above his head, a cloudy sky showed. As he squinted in front of him, to where the breeze had come from, he saw a gleaming, thin brook set in the grass, bubbling along happily._

_He cautiously padded to the stream, and when his paws reached to the edge, his eyes widened when he saw what was on the other side. Whereas his side was misty and barren of anything except grass, the other side was beautiful, with tall trees blooming with bright pink and red flowers, and lush green bushes dotting the land beneath. There was no mist, and the sky on the other side of the stream was clear blue and cloudless. As he stared, two fat squirrels skittered down a tree, prancing around on the other side of the stream, before chasing each other back up the tree._

_He frowned, and looked up. There was a thin white line that separated the two skies, the cloudy sky on his side and the clear sky on the other side of the brook. As he was puzzling over where he was, and what was happening, rustling resounded from the other side. He turned his head, eyes wide, fur bristling, but his fur immediately went down when the familiar face of his father poked out of a bush._

"_Dad!" Pinepaw meowed happily. Then, he frowned again when a tiny, brown dappled kit bounded out of the bush behind his father. Ashleaf and the kit made their way to the stream. When they reached the edge on their side, they both sat down. Ashleaf smiled warmly at his son._

"_Hello, Pinepaw," he rumbled._

_Pinepaw blinked. "Dad, what's happening? Why is my side so foggy, and why is your side so clear? And who's that?" he asked, flicking his tail at the kit, who was batting at something in the grass. _

_Ashleaf raised a paw. "Slow down, son," he meowed. "I'll explain everything. But first, I'll introduce you two." Ashleaf reach out his paw and gently pulled the kit over to him, and then looked back over at Pinepaw, who was only a tail-length away across the thin brook._

"_This," Ashleaf said gently to Pinepaw, "is Falconkit. Pinepaw, Falconkit is your brother." Pinepaw could only stare. He didn't have a brother. What was his dad talking about? Seeing Pinepaw's bewildered face, Ashleaf quickly explained. "Falconkit was born first, and then you. Only a few minutes after being born, Falconkit stopped breathing." Ashleaf's eyes misted over, as if he were remembering it. "Falconkit joined StarClan, and your mother and I made the decision to never tell you. We didn't want to make you upset that you didn't have a sibling to share your life with."_

_Pinepaw tried to process what his father had said, and nodded slowly, looking at Falconkit. He realized that little Falconkit, who had slipped away from Ashleaf's paw and was pouncing in the grass, was like a tiny version of Pinepaw. He had the same dark brown mottled pelt, and bright green eyes. Pinepaw looked back at Ashleaf. "I can't believe it."_

_Ashleaf chuckled at Pinepaw's confusion. "I know, it'll take a while for you to process it. I'm just sorry we didn't tell you; now, I think that we should have. But it's too late for that." Ashleaf paused. "Now, as for your other questions… First of all, we are in StarClan." _

_Pinepaw's mouth dropped. "Does that mean…." he whispered, voice trembling, "that I'm dead?"_

_Ashleaf quickly shook his head. "Oh, no, no. _You _aren't, but Falconkit and I are true members of StarClan. This stream," he meowed, flicking his tail at the tiny brook, "is the border between StarClan, and what is almost death." Ashleaf's warm green gaze turned serious. "Pinepaw, you are extremely close to joining StarClan yourself," he meowed solemnly and gently. "Try and move back."_

_Pinepaw, puzzled, tried to step back, but he couldn't move his paws. He couldn't move forward, either. His eyes widened when he realized that he was stuck in his current spot. "When you first got here," Ashleaf explained, "you could walk forward, because you were moving that much closer to death. Now, your body's state is remaining constant, not worsening or getting better, and you are stuck in the same spot. But if your condition worsens anymore, you will move across the stream and join StarClan."_

_Pinepaw's green eyes were sparking with panic. What was his dad talking about? Was he dying right now? Ashleaf looked at him sympathetically. "It's alright, son. I'm not trying to scare you, I just want you to realize the situation, that's all. Do you remember what I told you, when you were in the river?"_

It's not your time yet, son. StarClan will look out for you. _Pinepaw_ _nodded as Ashleaf's words rang in his mind. Ashleaf smiled. "Don't worry, all of StarClan is keeping that promise. We won't let you join us yet."_

_Pinepaw felt his fur flatten as relief filled him from ears to tail-tip. He knew that StarClan would keep its promise. "So… why are you here?"_

_Ashleaf blinked, and smiled. "Well, this is going to sound strange, but you are actually one of the lucky ones." Pinepaw was completely confused. He was _lucky? "_Well," Ashleaf said, "most cats don't get the experience of being between life and death. They either pass away the moment the fatal blow is delivered, or if they are ill, they float in unconsciousness, which is not enough to send them as close to StarClan as you are. So, during normal situations, a cat would simply go straight to StarClan. You, however, are so close to death that you can literally stand on the border between life and death. So, you can see what StarClan is like, even before you join it. But don't let how close you are to the border worry you; you're safe." Ashleaf glanced at Falconkit quickly, who was stalking a beetle, and then turned back to Pinepaw. "I came for two reasons. One, for you to meet your brother, and the other is to keep you company. None of StarClan knows how long it will take for you to wake up, and we didn't want you standing here, wondering what was happening."_

_Pinepaw nodded, trying to absorb everything his father was saying. It all seemed so bewildering, but he did mostly understand what Ashleaf was explaining. "But, why is my side so misty and your side is so…" he groped for a word, "StarClan-ish," he finished lamely._

_Ashleaf chuckled. "Well, StarClan is the afterlife paradise. That's why it's so StarClan-ish, as you call it." Pinepaw flushed underneath his fur at his bad word choice. "Anyway," his father continued, "the reason for the mist on your side is because your fate is uncertain. Whether you live or die is clouded, not quite sure yet, just like the mist."_

_Pinepaw nodded once more, then asked quietly, "Dad… why did Brackenpaw do that? I mean, it was the stupidest thing to attack a cat over! None of it was even true!" All of his frustration and anger bubbled over. His tail lashed. "Brackenpaw was like a brother to me! I _never _would have done that to him, never!"_

_Ashleaf sighed. "Pinepaw, you must understand something. Sometimes, cats do things for bad reasons, but they believe they have every reason in the world to do it." He looked deep into Pinepaw's eyes, green meeting green. "Brackenpaw did what he thought was right. However, that does not excuse the fact that what he did to you should be deemed unforgiveable. He will certainly be punished before the Clan; his crime will not go without any sort of reprimand." Ashleaf stood up and stretched, arching his back, and padding closer to the stream so that his pawtips were touching the silvery water. _

"_You need to understand something," Ashleaf continued. " Brackenpaw's fate rests in your paws. Obviously, the Clan will be angry with him, and most will hate him and want him to be exiled. However, cats like his parents and his sister will also be mad, but only want to punish him, not exile him. The Clan will listen to you, if you say what you think should happen to Brackenpaw, as you are the cat that he committed his crime against. If you say he should be exiled, he will. However, if you don't want to exile him, they will listen to that, too. Son, if you could find it in your heart to do that, you would show the Clan not only that punishment doesn't have to be so harsh, but that forgiveness can exist for awful things. However, I cannot make that decision for you. You must decide for yourself for what you want."_

_The apprentice sighed. "Everything is so complicated."_

_Ashleaf nodded sympathetically. "Yes, but I have complete faith in you that you will do what you think is right, just as Brackenpaw did. What he did should not be tolerated, and is very wrong, but in his mind, what he did was completely justified." He smiled, and then Pinepaw felt his paws moving of his own accord, backwards, away from the stream. _

_Pinepaw looked up. "What's happening?" he meowed, as he moved farther backwards._

_Ashleaf squinted, and then it looked as if something had dawned on him. "Ah, it appears as if you are waking up." He smiled once more. "Well, son, this will not be our last meeting. I will see you again."_

_Pinepaw managed to call out a quick, "Bye!" to his father and the brother he never knew, before darkness slammed over his vision once more._

The first thing he noticed was pain. Terrible, terrible pain. Not a sting, or an ache, or just simple pain, but throbbing. It felt as if with every beat of his heart, flashes of agony raced through him, like a thousand boulders being pressed down upon his body over and over again. He couldn't help but let out a small whimper.

Then he shoved his eyes open the tiniest bit, and was surprised to hear hissing nearby. He just managed to lift his head up a bit to look around, and realized he was still in the holly thicket. There was nobody else in the small space with him. He tiredly let his head fall back to the ground, and tried to figure out where the hissing was coming from. He still felt so delirious…

As he strained his ears, he realized that the hissing was coming from just outside the thicket. As he listened, there was a loud yowl and then a _thud._

Panic raced through Pinepaw when he heard loud rustling. Someone was entering the thicket. He forced himself to relax; it was probably Spottedstar, or Heatherpaw, somebody that had been with him before. _But why was there hissing and yowling? _a small voice whispered in his mind. Pinepaw tried his best to ignore it.

And then, a face he hadn't expected to see again so soon, and one which he did not desire to see, poked through the bushes. Before Pinepaw could react, the cat darted forward, roughly grabbed his scruff, and dragged him quickly out of the thicket. Pinepaw yelped as the branches raked over his injuries, making the agony even worse.

The cat released Pinepaw about a tail-length away from the thicket, and smiled nastily down at him, icy eyes blazing. Pinepaw could just make out a blurry cat with a brown tabby pelt laying limp in the grass not far away, and it looked like they had been knocked out. _Rosefur, _Pinepaw thought, terror now spreading through him.

The deep brown face of the tom suddenly appeared in front of Pinepaw's. His blue gaze burned into Pinepaw's green one.

"It's time to finish what I started," Brackenpaw snarled. And then he raised a paw, claws glinting.

* * *

><p>Badgerpelt heaved himself to his paws, licking his whiskers and removing all traces of the scrawny mouse he had just eaten. His belly didn't feel even close to full, but then, nobody in LeafClan had felt full in a while.<p>

He sighed. Would newleaf ever come? First, there had been that blizzard several days ago, the one during which the StoneClan cats had come in. There had been a flurry recently, last night. And a few days ago, it had flurried when he was training with Pinepaw.

At the thought of Pinepaw, worry crept into his mind yet again. His apprentice hadn't been seen since late yesterday, and currently a patrol consisting of Spottedstar, Nightclaw, Heatherpaw, and Silverwind were exploring near the river that was the border between LeafClan and BreezeClan territories.

Badgerpelt shook out his fur, trying to shove away his concern, but was unsuccessful. Pinepaw would never simply leave on purpose. His apprentice was fiercely loyal, and full of tireless energy, always dashing away but _always _returning. Badgerpelt hadn't been so sure about taking on Pinepaw as an apprentice; as an only kit, and since his father had died, Badgerpelt had thought that Pinepaw would be rather resentful and bad-tempered all the time. But he had been proven wrong a thousand times over already.

He had been so surprised when, on the first day of training, Pinepaw had given up going with Badgerpelt on a tour of the territory and had instead volunteered to change the elders' bedding and check them for ticks when Dustpaw and Cloudpaw had complained about doing it. Pinepaw always hunted as best as he could, and hadn't once yet returned to camp without something to show for his efforts. Although Pinepaw had only had two days of basic battle training so far during the quarter moon he had been an apprentice, Badgerpelt could tell that the young tom would grow to be a quick, skilled, and extremely powerful fighter, much better than Brackenpaw. Pinepaw would, most likely, be the best warrior in the whole Clan. Badgerpelt couldn't help but smile as he pictured Pinepaw growing from small, lean apprentice to tall, strong, and muscular warrior, maybe even leader one day.

Badgerpelt sighed. He suddenly wasn't so happy he had eaten that mouse, even though it had been tiny. Worry and concern churned in his stomach, and he knew that the more he focused on it, the more likely he was to throw up his pitiful meal, so he tried not to dwell on it. Badgerpelt stretched, feeling his pelt ripple across his strong muscles but also the slightest hint of his bones poking out. The more he looked around, the more Badgerpelt realized that his Clanmates' pelts had begun to show signs of the effect that this never-ending leaf-bare had wrought upon them. A bit of ribs there, bony hips there, a bit of a gaunt frame, dull and tired eyes… the Clan was stretched thin, hunting extra hard.

As he was looking around, he noticed all of the apprentices sitting in a circle outside the hollow log with their heads bent close together, deep in conversation. The apprentices had been given the rest of the day off because they had all worked hard the past couple days, having double the amount of work to do because of the search parties being sent out constantly for Pinepaw. Even Lakepaw, and Tinypaw, who had just moved out of the medicine den, were in the group, also talking.

Badgerpelt approached slowly, his paws sore from running after a quick rabbit today across a pebbly strip of ground. The rabbit had, unfortunately, met its demise, and Badgerpelt didn't mind his aching paws; it was a small price to pay for keeping his Clan nourished.

As he neared the group, he began to pick up the conversation.

"Where do you think Pinepaw could be?" Driftpaw asked, blue eyes wide and long fur ruffled.

Brackenpaw kneaded the ground with his forepaws. "I feel so helpless, just sitting around."

Graypaw nodded fiercely, his darker ear flicking with frustration. "Me, too," he meowed.

Badgerpelt was surprised to see little Tinypaw lift her chin. She was still thin, but her ribs barely showed. She didn't look sick anymore. In fact, she looked quite healthy. There was no sign of any illness that had previously had a hold of her, considering the way she sat tall with her tail wrapped around her paws, fur bushing up and making her look a lot bigger. "I say we should go and look for him some more," she mewed. "I mean, what if Pinepaw is in some small space that only an apprentice can get to? And all of you guys, except me and Lakepaw… you all know the apprentice hiding spots. What if he got upset and ran off for a while just to blow off steam?" She frowned, obviously not enjoying her "day off."

Badgerpelt plopped down beside Dustpaw, who looked up at him in surprise. "Pinepaw did not go run and hide to blow off steam," Badgerpelt rumbled, eyes narrowed. "He doesn't get angry. And he wouldn't do something so immature; he may be the one of the youngest apprentices, but only two moon old kits would do that."

Tinypaw's blue eyes were still defiant, but she apologized. "I didn't mean to offend you or Pinepaw, I just barely know him. How would I know what he would or wouldn't do?" Badgerpelt was shocked; he had expected the little she-cat to be shy.

He shook out his fur, concern still crawling like insects through his fur. "Well, anyway…" he murmured, looking up at the sky and seeing the sun beginning its slow journey below the horizon. "All of you should probably get some rest. The best thing you can right now is get some energy for tomorrow; be prepared for more work." He fixed all of them with a firm amber stare, to show that they couldn't argue with him. All of the apprentices slowly rose to their paws, obviously still reluctant, but padded into the hollow log one by one nonetheless.

Badgerpelt got up again, and observed what was going on. He knew that he would never get any rest with his own apprentice missing, but he wanted _something _to do. Honeyflower, Cloverfrost, Feathersong, and the newest queens from StoneClan, Brightdawn and Dapplefire, all lounged outside the nursery, watching the kits romp and play in front of them. Badgerpelt purred when he saw the Clan's newest additions, Blazekit, Owlkit, and Brindlekit, tucked protectively against Brightdawn's side, her tail wrapped over them as they watched the older kits play-fight with wide eyes.

Rushfoot, Birchclaw, Littlewing, and Foxtail all sat beside the freshkill pile, sharing three mice that were at least a bit larger than the one that Badgerpelt had eaten before. Thrushfeather and Hazelberry laid side by side, sharing tongues lazily. Crownest, Ivybuzzard, and Puddlelizard mostly stayed off to one side, looking over at the groups of LeafClan cats, as if unsure if they'd be intruding if they joined in. Badgerpelt knew that Darkfrost and Flamefoot had gone out hunting. He felt a pang in him when he noticed how many cats were in the medicine den because of sickness. Appleflower was in there with an injured paw from a StreamClan skirmish, but all of the other cats were ill.

Sadness struck Badgerpelt hard. His two siblings, Mossfoot and Sandfur, both had greencough. Rosefur hadn't let him visit them in case he caught the sickness himself or, even worse, spread it to more of the Clan. He also realized that Sunheart and Mothwhisker weren't anywhere to be seen, which meant they were probably sick, too. Badgepelt also hadn't seen Rowantail lounging outside the elders' den lately, and he knew that it wouldn't be the cold. Rowantail would always come outside, rain or shine, which meant he was most likely confined to the medicine cat den with illness, too.

Badgerpelt stifled another sigh. As if they didn't have enough problems, what with sickness, the awful weather that shouldn't be the way it was, not enough prey to go around, increasing tensions with StreamClan, and now Pinepaw was missing! Badgerpelt was just about to go sit beside Crownest, Puddlelizard, and Ivybuzzard to pass the time and make them feel a little bit more welcome, but just then movement at the corner of his vision caught his eye.

He turned and saw Rosefur's face at the mouth of the tunnel that led to the medicine den, set in the side of a slope at the edge of camp. Her green eyes glinted with anxiety, and she flicked her tail in a gesture for him to come over. Curious, and slightly worried, Badgerpelt padded over to the medicine cat.

"What is it?" he meowed.

Rosefur turned around, and flicked an ear. Badgerpelt was surprised when Spottedstar appeared in the tunnel. "I snuck through the dirtplace tunnel," the leader explained. "I didn't want to alarm the Clan by stampeding through the tunnel. Nightclaw is waiting just outside the entrance, though, since it was hard enough for one cat to sneak in."

"Badgerpelt," Rosefur continued. "Spottedstar's patrol found Pinepaw." Badgerpelt opened his mouth to speak, relief flooding through him, but Rosefur shook her head at him, making sure he didn't talk. "Silverwind and Heatherpaw are with him now, in a thicket beside the BreezeClan river border. He's extremely injured, Spottedstar tells me. He's in a bad state, covered in wounds, and it looks like he had a fox trap on him at one point."

Badgerpelt's relief disappeared. "What are you going to do?" he whispered, panic spreading through him. "Do you know if he's going to be alright?"

Rosefur didn't answer his second question, but replied, "Right now, I'm going to take Tumblepaw and go with Spottedstar and Nightclaw to wherever Pinepaw is. I'm going to take as many herbs as I can carry, and go examine Pinepaw and try to start treating him. But from what Spottedstar has told me, Pinepaw won't be able to be moved anytime soon; it would only hurt him more."

Spottedstar continued. "Badgerpelt, we need you and one other cat to go into the forest, and get vines, sticks, anything that you can gather to weave together to make kind of… a mat. Something that we can use to put Pinepaw on to carry him back here. Dragging him through the forest or carrying him like we normally would carry a cat is out of the question. We need to use something else to carry, something that we can lift off of the ground to transport him to camp safely. Can you do that?"

Badgerpelt nodded and meowed, "Of course. I'll do anything you want." He cocked his head to the side. "Who should help me?" he queried. "Perhaps Brackenpaw? He'll work hard on making the mat with me; he and Pinepaw are so close."

For some reason, Badgerpelt felt that he saw something flash in Spottedstar's eyes when he mentioned Brackenpaw. But it was gone before the black and white tom could be sure. Spottedstar shook his head. "No, not Brackenpaw. Not any of the apprentices, they need their rest. Perhaps someone that wouldn't immediately tell another cat about us finding Pinepaw…" He peeked out of the tunnel, and his eyes settled on the group of former StoneClan cats. "Take Ivybuzzard," he meowed. "You have my permission to tell her everything that I just told you, just make sure she keeps it a secret for now. Once Rosefur takes a look at Pinepaw, I'll return with my patrol and tell the whole Clan about him. But for now, only tell Ivybuzzard. Got it?"

Badgerpelt nodded firmly, and trotted away from the tunnel, over to where Ivybuzzard was sitting with Puddlelizard and Crownest with a contented look on her face. He was relieved when he saw that Puddlelizard and Crownest were sprawled out, enjoying the last rays of sunlight, but both of them had their eyes closed and were breathing deeply; they were both sleeping. Only Ivybuzzard was awake. Badgerpelt walked over, trying to be quieter, and Ivybuzzard looked up in surprise when he stopped beside her. "Can you come with me?" he whispered in her ear. She looked confused for a moment, but nodded and rose to her paws.

She followed Badgerpelt as he silently slipped out of camp, trying to make sure that no one noticed them leaving. His heart sank when he saw Flamefoot and Darkfrost, each carrying a small piece of prey, come trotting toward them. Badgerpelt quickly meowed, "Just going on another hunting patrol," as the two toms walked past. Relief filled him from ears to tail-tip as they simply nodded, obviously believing his story, and entered the camp.

Once the two warriors disappeared from sight, Badgerpelt took off at a brisk trot toward the thicker part of the forest, toward the StoneClan border. Once the two cats reached a particularly overgrown grove of tall maple trees and thick bushes, Badgerpelt stopped and turned around to face Ivybuzzard.

"I'm guessing we're not hunting, right?" she meowed, eyes narrowed.

Badgerpelt sighed. "No, we're not. I'll explain while we start gathering up as many branches or thick leaves and vines as you can." Ivybuzzard's ears pricked with interest as Badgerpelt began telling her what Spottedstar and Rosefur had said, but by the end of the story, he could almost feel the horror emanating off of her.

"I hope Pinepaw will be okay," she murmured, dropping some more branches on her pile.

Badgerpelt nodded. "Me, too." He placed his forepaws on the trunk of an oak tree and yanked off a rather thick vine, dragging over to his own pile of fern fronds, twigs, and fat branches. "He's such a good cat… and a wonderful apprentice. I don't know what I'd do if he…" Badgerpelt stopped. He didn't want to say it out loud.

Ivybuzzard sat down, giving Badgerpelt a sympathetic look. "Pinepaw sounds like an amazing cat. I mean, I know I only met a few days ago, but the way he talked about us StoneClanners at the Clan meeting, and the way he stood up for us… he seemed so kind and compassionate. And he didn't even know us."

Badgerpelt nodded, smiling at the memory. "I'll admit, Pinepaw surprises me every day. He was always getting into trouble as a kit, and I actually didn't want to take him as an apprentice at first. I had to think it through for a whole day when Spottedstar first told me that he was considering making me his mentor."

Ivybuzzard cocked her head, obviously curious and surprised. "Really? How could you not want that adorable, sweet little cat for an apprentice?"

Badgerpelt chuckled. "Well, only a few weeks before his apprentice naming ceremony, Pinepaw did actually sneak out of camp and nobody could find him. It was nightfall when BreezeClan warriors found him beside the river, and had to bring him back to camp." He sighed. "But when Pinepaw returned…" He shook his head. "Poor Ashleaf," he muttered, throwing another branch on the pile.

Badgerpelt hadn't wanted Ivybuzzard to hear that last part, but her keen ears must have picked it up. "Who's Ashleaf?"

Badgerpelt sighed and sat down across from the tawny she-cat. "Ashleaf died from greencough the day that Pinepaw got brought back by those BreezeClan warriors. When he entered camp, the first thing Pinepaw saw was Ashleaf's body laid out in the clearing, everyone sharing tongues with him for the last time." He felt a lump forming in his throat. "Ashleaf was Pinepaw's father," he choked out. "Imagine what it was like, walking into camp after a day of exploring, only to see your dead father in front of you."

Ivybuzzard's eyes were wide. "That must have been awful," she whispered. "How did he take it?"

Badgerpelt shook his head. "He was so upset for three days, but he pulled it all together for his apprentice naming ceremony that would be coming up soon. He seemed to know that at least his father would always be watching him from StarClan, and that he was in a better place, no longer suffering from greencough." He smiled. "That was when I decided to take him on as an apprentice. Most cats would mourn a loved one for weeks, even moons, but only a few days and Pinepaw had already come to terms with his father's death and was stronger because of it. He's wise beyond his years, you know."

At Ivybuzzard's doubtful gaze, Badgerpelt said, "I know, to you, he may seem kind and all, and more like any other young cat and full of energy, but he really is smart. On his second day as an apprentice, I had sent him off to try and hunt for the first time. I followed him, and saw him at the StreamClan border, letting two enemy apprentices go back over the border. When I asked him why he had let them go, he simply said, 'Chasing a vole over the border isn't worth ruffled fur and unsheathed claws.' So I hadn't told anyone about Pinepaw letting them go; I didn't want him to get in trouble. But he understands a lot more than you may think." His voice trailed off, sadness filling him again. He desperately didn't want Pinepaw to die. Such an amazing cat didn't deserve to die.

Badgerpelt shook out his fur, trying to take his thoughts off his injured apprentice possibly fighting for his life. "Anyway," he meowed to the she-cat, "I think the whole Clan is worried about Pinepaw's mother. She never got over Ashleaf's death, really. She still hunts and everything, but she's skinnier than everyone else, like she doesn't eat enough. And she doesn't talk much anymore; I think she's very depressed. This news about Pinepaw being hurt and all… it won't do her any good."

Ivybuzzard stood and stretched, arching her back. "Who is Pinepaw's mom? I know we've been here for a couple days, but I still don't know everybody's names or who's related to who."

Badgerpelt meowed quietly, "Her name is Thistlestripe."

Ivybuzzard froze in the middle of her stretching. "Really? The elder?"

Badgerpelt shook his head. "She isn't really an elder. She's really quite young; only a few moons after her warrior naming ceremony, she got caught up in a StreamClan skirmish and one of the warriors clawed her eyes so fiercely that she went blind, so she had to join the elders early. She never let it bother her that she had to retire so soon, and she was so thrilled when Ashleaf took her as a mate; she never thought that a tom would be interested in a blind she-cat." Badgerpelt purred at the thought.

Ivybuzzard turned to look at him. "Why do you talk about Ashleaf in that way?"

The black and white tom was confused. "What do you mean?" he asked.

She gave her chest a thoughtful lick. "Well, you talk about him with such respect… I'm just wondering why he was so special."

Badgerpelt forced his fur to lie flat. He had promised Ashleaf that he wouldn't tell anyone his secret, but… he knew that Ivybuzzard wouldn't quit asking until she got an answer. "You have to swear to StarClan not to tell anyone," he meowed slowly. "Only me, Spottedstar, and Nightclaw know about his secret."

Ivybuzzard nodded, raising a paw. "I swear I'll keep it to myself." Her eyes were bright with interest.

"Well…" Baderpelt mewed reluctantly. "He came to the Clan when he was only six moons old. Everyone assumed he was a former loner without parents, and he had come to seek refuge within the Clan. He proved himself a thousand times over, so no one objected to him staying." He hesitated. "Ashleaf and I trained together as apprentices. He was a great cat, always funny and kind and just as passionate as Pinepaw. But one day, he got me, Spottedstar, and Nightclaw out into the forest and told us the truth. He wasn't just some passing loner wishing to join LeafClan. He had come from another Clan… StoneClan."

Ivybuzzard's eyes widened. "Why didn't I ever hear about him?" she asked, shocked.

"Because," Badgerpelt meowed, "it was before you were born. But there's more…" He sighed. "He wasn't just any StoneClan cat. He's related to someone in your Clan, the very someone that you left StoneClan because of."

Ivybuzzard's eyes seemed to grow even larger. "No way," she breathed. "Not Eagleclaw."

Badgerpelt nodded. "Ashleaf was Eagleclaw's brother. So obviously, Pinepaw is Eagleclaw's nephew. And Thistlestripe is Spottedstar's sister, which also makes him Spottedstar's nephew."

Ivybuzzard seemed completely and utterly shocked and bewildered. "Did Ashleaf ever say why he left? And that means… Pinepaw is half-Clan!"

Badgerpelt bristled. "No, Ashleaf never told us why he chose to leave StoneClan, and we didn't push him to tell us. But," he growled, "Pinepaw is _not _half-Clan. Ashleaf was a loyal LeafClan warrior, through and through. He never once wanted to ever be called a former StoneClan cat. And Pinepaw will never know about the blood he shares with Eagleclaw, because you cannot tell him!" He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. But all of his frustration and worry for Pinepaw had bubbled over.

Ivybuzzard meowed quietly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset."

Badgerpelt shook his head, still forcing himself to breathe deeply. "No, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I shouldn't have growled at you. I'm just so worried…" His voice trailed off.

Ivybuzzard surprised Badgerpelt by giving him a gentle nudge. "I'm sure he'll be okay, try not to be so worried." She started laying out the stick in a neat row. "Now, help me put this 'mat' together. What is a mat, anyway?"

Badgerpelt crisscrossed the rows of branches with twigs, entwining them in between each stick to make it sturdier. "As far as I know, only LeafClan cats use mats, because no other Clans have enough trees and bushes to make them," he explained. "But a long time ago, there was a great leader, named Maplestar. One time, while under his rule, a LeafClan patrol on their way back from the Gathering got attacked by a vicious group of rogues. The patrol fought them off, but a few of the warriors were very badly injured. They had to be moved back to camp, but if they were carried by their scruffs or being supported by other warriors, they surely would have died on the way back to camp." He shoved a particularly stubborn twig in between two thick branches. "So, Maplestar came up with the idea to put sticks together and tie them up with vines, and then put the injured cat on it. Then the mat would be put on the backs of two warriors, who would walk side by side with the mat and injured cat on top. In this way, the injured cat would be moved back to camp with as little movement as possible and would be taken back safely. Ever since then, whenever warriors are badly injured, we throw together a mat and bring them to camp. We haven't used one in a while, but every apprentice is taught how to make one."

Ivybuzzard nodded. "That's really smart," she said, with an admiring tone.

They continued to work in silence, and once they had finished weaving the branches together and tying them up with vines, Badgerpelt suggested putting moss on top and also weaving that in too make it more comfortable for Pinepaw. After it was completely done, the two dragged the mat back to camp, and left it just outside the entrance before padding in.

They were surprised to see Spottedstar perched on Crookedtree, with Nightclaw on a branch just below him. The Clan was gathered around the tree, murmuring to each other worriedly. Anxiety was thick in the air.

"They must have told the Clan about Pinepaw," Badgerpelt muttered to Ivybuzzard they settled at the back of the crowd. No one took notice of their arrival; everyone seemed distracted.

"Pinepaw's injuries," Spottedstar continued, "were much worse than we originally thought." Badgerpelt's heart clenched as Spottedstar kept speaking. "I know that Heatherpaw remembered his most serious injuries." He beckoned to Heatherpaw, where she had been sitting at the base of Crookedtree.

The golden apprentice sprang nimbly up onto a low branch so that the Clan could hear her better. "Silverwind and I were with Rosefur when she examined Pinepaw," she meowed solemnly. "He had two deep gashes in his stomach, and his left front paw is broken. He also has a severely broken shoulder… from a fox trap." There was a collective gasp from the Clan, but Heatherpaw kept talking. "Rosefur pieced together the story from his injuries. It seems like he was attacked by a cat, and then deliberately had the fox trap put on his shoulder. Then Pinepaw's attacker pushed him into Willowcreek, and he was carried by Willowcreek into the river between BreezeClan and our territories. We found blood on the bank of the river that showed Pinepaw dragged himself out of the river and into the thicket, where he managed to get the fox trap off his shoulder."

The Clan had fallen silent, and Badgerpelt's stomach churned, feeling revolted and furious at the same time. Heatherpaw's solemn look disappeared, replaced by a burning amber fire within her eyes. "And," she snarled, "we have a pretty good idea of who did this terrible thing to Pinepaw. Where's Brackenpaw?"

The Clan cats whispered among themselves, shuffling and moving apart. Badgerpelt stretched up on his paws, but couldn't spot Brackenpaw's dark brown pelt among the others. "I don't see him," Badgerpelt called out. "I don't think he's here."

Heatherpaw's eyes blazed even more, and a growl came out of her throat. Spottedstar meowed, "Has anyone seen Brackenpaw? This is important; we have proof that he did it. Pinepaw told us that Brackenpaw attacked him, and Heatherpaw smelled him on one of the teeth from the fox trap. We need to find him!"

Badgerpelt saw little Finchpaw draw herself up. "I… I s-saw him leave camp just after the meeting started, right after you told us about finding Pinepaw," she stammered, trembling. "He told m-me that he would kill me if I ever told wh-where he went." She crouched down, ears flattened. "I'm sorry, I should have told you the moment he l-left."

Spottedstar looked down at her with kind eyes. "It's alright, Finchpaw," he meowed soothingly. "He threatened you, and you were scared. You told us now, and that's all that matters. Did he say where he was going?"

Silverwind spoke up from the base of Crookedtree. "Do you need to ask?" he snarled. "It's obvious enough. He went to go finish off Pinepaw."

Caterwauling broke out, and Spottedstar called out loudly, "Everyone, be quiet. I'll take a patrol to go find him. Nightclaw, you stay here, keep the Clan under control. I'll take…" His eyes searched the crowd. "Ivybuzzard, Badgerpelt, Littlewing, and Birchclaw."

Spottedstar leapt down from the tree, and raced out of camp, with the cats he had called running after him. Badgerpelt and Ivybuzzard just managed to grab the mat they had made on the way out of camp. They dragged it along behind them, still pelting along at full speed. Before he knew it, Badgerpelt and the rest of the patrol had reached the clearing beside Willowcreek. They raced beside the stream, following it as it flowed into the river between BreezeClan and LeafClan territory. Badgerpelt knew they had reached the river when he smelled BreezeClan scent markers floating across the water. And, in the distance, he saw the thicket. But it was still far away.

His eyes widened when he could just make out Rosefur, lying unconscious on the ground beside the thicket. Not far away from her, a dark brown shape was towering over a lighter form, paw raised, ready to kill.

"No!" Badgerpelt yowled, even with the mat clutched in his teeth. The patrol all tried to go faster, but Badgerpelt knew they would never make it in time. It was many fox-lengths before they would reach the thicket.

"Brackenpaw!" Spottedstar yowled. "Don't do it!"

As Badgerpelt watched in horror, still galloping beside the others, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Just as Brackenpaw brought his paw down toward Pinepaw's throat, who lay helpless on the ground, the injured apprentice rolled away just as Brackenpaw's paw hit the ground. Then, still staring in horror and shock, Badgerpelt watched as Pinepaw suddenly surged onto his feet and, even more strangely, onto his hind paws. If what everything Badgerpelt had been told was true, Pinepaw shouldn't be able to move at all. But there his apprentice was, rearing up on his back paws with seemingly impossible strength, and bringing his paw slamming down to connect with the side of Brackenpaw's head. The swipe must have been so massive and powerful that Brackenpaw was flung into the air, flying at least five or six fox-lengths before thudding onto the ground, dazed.

Pinepaw dropped back onto all four paws. Badgerpelt realized that the patrol had slowed their running, shocked by the sudden turn of events. What had just happened? How had Pinepaw summoned the strength, in his badly injured state, to deliver a blow that hard to Brackenpaw? But when Pinepaw staggered to the side, almost collapsing, the patrol broke out of their frozen state and pounded forward. When they got close enough, Badgerpelt released the mat and darted forward to his apprentice, catching him just as he slumped to the side.

Badgerpelt gently eased Pinepaw onto the ground, and crouched beside him, looking at his injured apprentice. Panic flared through him when he saw blood pulsing from a gaping wound on his shoulder, and flowing rapidly from the gashes on his stomach. He yanked grass from the ground quickly and pressed it hard against the wounds, staunching the bleeding enough that it thinned to a small trickle. Pinepaw's eyes were half-closed, and his breathing was quick and shallow.

"Pinepaw," Badgerpelt meowed desperately. "Stay with me, stay awake. You're going to be okay." He pressed more grass against the wounds, temporarily stopping the flow of blood completely.

Pinepaw's eyelids fluttered gently. "Hey, Badgerpelt," he whispered in a voice tight with agony.

Badgerpelt couldn't help but smile a bit that Pinepaw would speak to him even while in such terrible pain. "Hey," he forced out a purr. Then he took on a more serious tone. "Try not to talk, okay? Don't use up your energy."

But Pinepaw didn't seem to hear him. His eyes suddenly widened for a moment, and he shifted his paws. "Where's Brackenpaw?" He lifted his head off the ground, green eyes terrified. His fear scent began to fill the air, and Badgerpelt gently touched his nose to Pinepaw's ear.

"It's okay," Badgerpelt murmured soothingly. "We'll protect you. He won't hurt you anymore." Oh so gently, Badgerpelt nudged Pinepaw's head back onto the ground. The brown tom's eyes drooped closed.

His breathing was still shallow, but at least he had relaxed. Badgerpelt got a better look at Pinepaw's wounds, and grief, sadness, and overwhelming anger raced through him when he saw that the young cat's pelt was riddled with cuts and gashes. The nastiest ones were on his stomach and shoulder, where Badgerpelt could make out the deep marks that the fox trap had left there. Suddenly, a tawny paw wrapped in cobwebs appeared in front of him, and Badgerpelt quickly took the webs from Ivybuzzard. He pressed them firmly onto the bloody gashes and onto his shoulder, which had began to pulse blood again.

Badgerpelt looked up when he was done to see Ivybuzzard staring down at Pinepaw with sadness and almost… fascination in her eyes. "Look at him," she whispered. "He's so hurt, but we all saw it. We all saw him hit Brackenpaw away. How could a cat in this state find the strength to move at all?"

Badgerpelt shook his head, trying to shake away the strange thing that had happened. It had almost been like Pinepaw had turned into another cat. A strong, powerful warrior, instead of a very young tom covered in wounds that should have made it impossible to stand up. But he wasn't going to voice his worries to Ivybuzzard, not now, when Pinepaw might still be able to hear in his half-conscious state.

The black and white warrior stood up, and looked around. Behind him, Littlewing and Birchclaw stood beside Brackenpaw, giving him rage-filled glares. The dark brown tom was sitting up now, but rubbing at his head with a paw, his eyes glazed as if the blow that Pinepaw had given him had left him dazed. Badgerpelt wouldn't be surprised; even from far away, it had looked like Pinepaw had done a pretty decent job of delivering a very strong swipe. The impact from hitting the ground would have left him bruised, too. Badgerpelt also saw Spottedstar help Rosefur to her paws, who shook her head and slowly made her way over, with Spottedstar following.

"I swear," she muttered on the way over. "My head feels like a tree got dropped on it." When she reached Pinepaw's side, she murmured sadly, "Of course, it's nothing compared to what he must be going through." She shook her head, then said briskly, "Fetch that mat; we need to get him to camp where I can have a proper look at him."

Ivybuzzard and Spottedstar darted away, and returned, dragging the mat. They placed as close as they could to Pinepaw while still having room to lift him onto it. Badgerpelt gently grabbed Pinepaw's scruff in his teeth as carefully as he could, and Spottedstar pushed Pinepaw onto the mat slowly. As they settled the young tom on the mat, he moaned softly, an awful, pain-filled sound that made Badgerpelt feel as if his heart would be torn out. Just earlier that day, Badgerpelt had been thinking about how Pinepaw would be a great warrior, and maybe a great leader one day. Now, all of that had been stripped away by Brackenpaw. If Pinepaw survived, the best that would happen would be that he would spend the rest of his life in the elders' den. But from the look of him, and how terrible Pinepaw's condition obviously was, Badgerpelt sadly knew that his apprentice probably wouldn't last another couple days.

_Perhaps, _Badgerpelt though, even though it pained him to even think it, _it would be better if he died. He would be in a better place, free from the agony that is pounding through him right now._

Badgerpelt and Spottedstar crouched down on the grass, side by side, as Rosefur and Ivybuzzard grunted with the effort of slowly lifting the mat with Pinepaw on it and placing it on top of the two toms. They carefully stood up, being careful not to jostle around too much, and began walking forward.

Rosefur and Ivybuzzard followed just behind them, and just behind them, Brackenpaw strode along, sandwiched in between Littlewing and Birchclaw, who kept hissing at him. Spottedstar didn't reprimand them for terrorizing the apprentice; after all, he had tried to kill Pinepaw, and it was obvious now that Brackenpaw really had tortured Pinepaw.

Before Badgerpelt knew it, he and Spottedstar had finally made it to the camp entrance. They stopped just outside the entrance. "When we go in," the leader meowed, "where do you want us to put him, Rosefur?"

Rosefur thoughtfully wove in front of them, frowning. "I can't put him in the medicine den; there's too much risk that he'll catch greencough…" Then her eyes lit up. "To the right of the medicine den, there's a big patch of ferns, all the way in the corner of camp. No one goes back there. Put Pinepaw as far back as you can, up against the camp wall, and try to flatten out some of the ferns where you lay him down."

The two toms nodded and slowly padded into camp, ignoring the whispers and meows that filled the air as the shocked Clan appeared out of their dens, obviously staring in horror at Pinepaw's bloody body. When they reached the fern patch, they padded in and were swallowed by the arching green fronds. Badgerpelt was relieved to be away from the Clan's prying eyes. They padded a few tail-lengths farther in before they reached the camp wall of thick, thorny bushes. As they had been instructed, the two warriors crouched down slowly and slipped out from underneath the mat, leaving it lying on the ground with Pinepaw lying motionless on top of it.

Badgerpelt was sure that his apprentice was completely unconscious now, but when he and Spottedstar carefully pulled him off the mat into a flattened patch of plants, a tiny whimper escaped the tom. Badgerpelt felt that same angry and upset feeling, his stomach churning at the agony-filled sound that shouldn't be coming out of a cat so young.

As they settled Pinepaw onto the ground and pushed the mat off into the ferns but still within reach if it was needed, Rosefur padded in. "Ivybuzzard, Littlewing, and Birchclaw brought Brackenpaw to the base of Crookedtree," she informed them. "The Clan is waiting for you, Spottedstar." She said it almost apologetically to the leader, obviously sorry that his own apprentice had turned into some sort of monster.

Spottedstar sighed and pushed his way reluctantly out of the ferns. Badgerpelt knew he had to go, too. He wanted to be there when Brackenpaw's punishment was decided. He gently nuzzled Pinepaw's cheek, before following Spottedstar's trail through the ferns. When he emerged, he saw the whole Clan gathered around Crookedtree, everyone talking at once, some yowling, even. Spottedstar leapt onto the Crookedtree, tail lashing, and the crowd immediately fell silent at the fury that was burning within the leader's blue eyes.

"Brackenpaw," Spottedstar snarled down at the dark brown tom, who was staring up at him with unreadable icy blue eyes. "You're a mange-pelt, the whole Clan knows it now," the angry leader continued, pacing on his branch, fur bristling. A snarl erupted from him. "You are my apprentice. Everyone thought you were loyal, _fiercely _loyal, especially to Pinepaw. He was like your brother, and you betrayed him. You mauled him so badly that he is treading on the border between life and death! Brackenpaw," Spottedstar mewed, his voice lowering to a cold meow, "what are we going to do with you? And what, in the name of StarClan, have you become?"

**Hehe.** "**Treading on the border between life and death." Why yes, Pinepaw **_**is **_**doing just that! Good job, Spottedstar!**

**Anyways…it's been like two or four months or something since I last updated (I don't even know it's been so long) and for that I apologize but to my few readers I know that a simple apology isn't a good excuse for taking so long. I didn't mean to keep you waiting… I was just suffering from some writer's block, and I was going through some family stuff so I was reallyyy distracted so please… don't be TOO angry.**

**If you have any questions, either put it in a review, or PM me. **

**And wow… this chapter got so long, I didn't even realize. It's like 8800 something words now…yeah. WOW. Didn't mean for it to become so lengthy…**

**Also: I just love Badgerpelt's character. I mean, he goes on and on about how nice Pinepaw is and everything when Badgerpelt is just as nice himself, and that's what I like about him: the fact that he's so modest that he doesn't even realize how kind and compassionate and loyal he really is. If Badgerpelt were a human being instead of a cat, I'd marry him ****J**


	9. Chapter 8: Rone

**Hey, you guys. Okay, this is just getting ridiculous. I got NO reviews yet for the last chapter. NONE. I'm upset, you guys. I'm posting this chappie, and then maybe I'll get some reviews. I'm not going to put up another chapter until SOMEONE reviews.**

**Anyways, this takes place the morning of the day that Pinepaw is discovered.**

**~Rone~**

It was the sharp, biting wind that woke him.

It filtered in, through the gaps in the scraggly bush's branches, and nipped at his face like a shard of ice. His eyes popped open, and he quietly sat up and shook bits of moss from his pelt. He suppressed a shiver as the cold breeze drifted away, no longer chilling him to the bone. He sighed; he hadn't wished to get up so early, as he could see the sun just peeking above the horizon through the gaps, but once he truly awoke, he knew he would never fall back asleep until that night.

He rose to his paws carefully, stepping over little Maggie on his way out of the den. She was sleeping peacefully, reddish flank falling and rising steadily. He looked down at her fondly; the young she-cat had found her way into the rogue group within the last six moons, and already Elise and Falcon were fond of her. If there was anyone that he was completely and utterly loyal, kind, and caring to, it was his group of rogues. What Eagleclaw didn't know, and what he would never tell the StoneClan deputy, was that they had only joined the Clan while they waited out this seemingly never-ending season of leaf-bare. Life back where they had come from, catching enough prey in the strange weather with only four cats had been difficult. They would stay with the Clan where there always seemed to be enough food for everyone while the cold weather lasted, but once it was gone, he knew that he would take his little family and leave. With one last look around the small den and at Elise and Falcon, who were also deep in slumber, he slipped out.

It was even chillier outside, and this time he shivered, whiskers quivering. He would have to ask Eagleclaw about giving them better arrangements. The deputy had explained that currently, every cave was full. So he and Maggie, Elise, and Falcon had temporarily settled under the straggly bush, which was barely clinging to the stony ground. But if this wind kept up, not a single one of them would get a wink of sleep.

While thinking of the stony ground, he winced, and licked at his right forepaw. A pebble had embedded there the day before, and after he had pulled it out, the small wound had spurted blood and become a cut on his pad. But he was too untrusting, and perhaps a bit too proud, to go to the Clan's healer cat or whatever it was called.

He looked around the large rocky clearing. The only cats he saw were the two warriors guarding the entrance, their shadowy outlines just visible in the dim dawn light. He stretched, arching his back and yawning, feeling his fur ripple over his muscles. It felt good to be full-fed again; back in the Bleaks, prey had been so scarce because of the weather.

He felt a pang of homesickness for the place that had always been his home, the place they had been forced to leave. But he quickly pushed it away firmly; they were only with the Clan temporarily.

The tom sat and groomed his sleep-rumpled gray-and-black streaked fur. Without a doubt, the cat was quite handsome, with his dark toned fur, long and muscular build, the distinctive white flash on his chest, and ice-blue eyes. The tom's father, a respectable rogue, had named his son Rone in honor of the gray and black mountains that had risen, tall and proud, just north of the Bleaks. No one was really sure how the Rone Mountains had gotten their name, but it was simply accepted back in the Bleaks. The Rone Mountains were just _there, _and the tom planned on seeing his homeland as soon as he could.

When he had groomed his fur to perfection, Rone noticed that the sun had moved a bit farther up in the sky. The Clan was beginning to stir. While sitting in the corner by his pathetic bush, he had a good view of the rest of camp.

Directly diagonal from him was the apprentices' cave. He heard whispered complaints about the day's duties as young cats shifted around inside. Beside that, to its left, was the warriors' cave, where several cats slipped out and padded out the entrance, still yawning; they were the dawn patrol. To the left of the warriors' den was the nursery; it was a cave with a very narrow entrance, with a curtain of ivy in front of it. But judging by the way the kits' mewls and cries echoed loudly, he figured the inside must be pretty large. The medicine den was across camp from the nursery, and Rone wrinkled his nose at the stench of herbs. A little way off, in the far corner, was a steep rock slope that led up to the leader's den. Rone knew that some of the smaller extra caves dotting the edges of the clearing were already taken up by more apprentices or warriors; the Clan was extremely large.

Even in his couple days there, Rone had learned a lot about the Clan. They believed in strange gods, some Starhunters or something like that, which were the spirits of dead warriors. About that, Rone didn't know what to think. He respected every cat's beliefs, but his own were very different. All cats back in the Bleaks had shared a similar idea: if you lived a good life with no serious crimes, you would go to a moon-lit forest when you died, full of loved ones that had passed before you. You would be welcomed, and you could watch as your friends and family below lived out their lives, too. If you led a bad life, you were condemned to the darkness.

He had also learned that apprentices could only eat after they had performed some sort of duty that day. Also, there was a mixture of cats in this Clan: those that supported Eagleclaw, almost idolized him, and then those that did not and hated his rule.

Rone was not quite sure what to think of the deputy yet. He did know for sure that the real leader, Duststar, was mentally deranged and no longer really led the Clan, only completed simple ceremonies such as warrior and apprentice namings. Eagleclaw was much harsher, strict. He believed that punishment was always the consequence of making a mistake or doing something bad. The cats that supported him would constantly give their apprentices these "clawings" if they did something incorrectly. According to Eagleclaw, it evoked fear, which brought in respect for him and respect for his rules. But those that hated Eagleclaw would only pretend to claw their apprentices, and make sure Eagleclaw never saw them return with apprentices that didn't bear any scratches.

Rone himself wasn't a big fan of torturing young cats like that. He felt Eagleclaw was too ambitious and full of himself, and only wanted power and respect. If fear had to be there, too, well… Eagleclaw certainly wouldn't mind. He had been kind and courteous to Rone and his family when they had asked to join, and had been so caring to that old fool Duststar when they had first met and Duststar had done something strange and talked about a stick being mindless, and not being able to govern a Clan. But in a way, Rone… _admired_ the firm paw with which Eagleclaw held his Clan. He demanded respect, and got it most of the time. The deputy had such power, one which Rone was curious about.

As the Clan began moving around more, Rone was snapped out of his deep thoughts. A rustling behind him made Rone turn to see Maggie pad out of the bush and sit beside him, sighing. Rone knew something was wrong with the little she-cat when he saw the sorrow and fear in her orange eyes.

"You alright?" he asked gently, nudging Maggie with his nose.

She looked up at him, her face a mask of misery. "More nightmares," she whispered timidly. She looked down at her dark paws, shuffling over and pressing against Rone's side, as if trying to comfort herself.

If any other cat had leaned against him, Rone might have clawed their muzzle off. But with Maggie, Rone's heart would always melt. He, Falcon, and Elise had found the young she-cat at the edge of the Bleaks about six and a half moons ago. He could remember it like it was only a few hours ago…

"_I smell something," Falcon growled, stalking forward, sniffing the air._

_Elise flicked her tail over the tom's muzzle. "Well," she meowed sarcastically, "that's because you're _sniffing, _with your _nose!"

_Rone rolled his eyes at their usual bickering, and then crouched behind an old oak tree to stop and sniff the air himself. The only thing he could scent was a nearby mouse, which he quickly found and dispatched. He trotted back to the small clearing in the forest, only to find Falcon and Elise gone. He blinked in surprise, dropping the mouse to the ground. The two would spend at least five minutes arguing before hunting; it was almost like a ritual, and they would never put it off unless something important was happening. _

_Rone left the mouse behind, and followed their faint scent trails back into the forest. He had only gone a few fox-lengths when he saw Falcon and Elise pacing around the base of a massive oak tree, tails lashing anxiously._

"_What is it?" Rone meowed, hurrying over and looking up into the tree. There was nothing there, except thick branches and a small hollow, many fox-lengths above them._

_Elise planted her forepaws on the trunk of the giant oak. "Me and Falcon heard a whimper, a young sounding whimper, from this tree," she mewed, eyes wide. "It's coming from the hollow, and it was from a cat."_

_Rone frowned, before deciding to take the risk and go check the hollow. His curiosity had gotten the better of him, as it usually did. He was a much better climber than Falcon and Elise, and soon he had scaled at least halfway up the massive tree. Grunting with the effort, he pulled himself up onto one last branch, up beside the small hollow. _

_Cautiously, keeping his claws dug firmly into the branch, he peeked in the hollow. What he saw made him gasp and sway, almost falling from the branch, but he quickly regained his balance._

_Inside laid a small she-cat, who looked even tinier with her ribs showing prominently. She was extremely emaciated, hips protruding and her skin just barely clinging to her gaunt frame. One hind paw looked twisted and swollen. A long gash stretched along her cheek, blood oozing sluggishly from it. Her nose was sliced open, too. Judging by the stench of dirt, urine, fear, and blood, this she-cat had been here for a long time. Maybe almost a moon._

_Rone slipped inside, and stared. What should he do? She was unconscious now, eyes closed, but as he watched, she let out a long, ragged breath. His heart pounded at least ten times before her next breath; she was slowly slipping away, and it sounded painful. Before he knew what had happened, Rone had grabbed the she-cat's scruff, carefully carried her out onto the sturdy branch, and slowly hopped from branch to branch with the limp she-cat grasped in his jaws. It felt like ages before he reached the bottom of the tree and leaped out; the she-cat didn't even whimper when her twisted paw hit the ground._

_Elise and Falcon stared at him, and at the she-cat as Rone gently set her down on the soft grass. She was barely breathing now, and Rone quickly told Elise and Falcon to go and soak some moss in water, while he sprinted back to the clearing and snatched his mouse._

_Rone ran back into the trees and emerged beside the tree. He was the first one back. As he approached the she-cat, he feared the worst when he saw that her flank wasn't rising and falling. But as he drew up beside her, she sucked in a jagged breath, and then let it out slowly. Rone crouched beside her, and began tearing up the mouse into tiny pieces with his claws. He knew the she-cat wouldn't be able to chew in her state, so he wrinkled his nose as he chewed the tiny pieces down to a mash and spit them out._

_Just then, Elise and Falcon came racing back, dripping moss hanging from their mouths. They quickly dropped it beside the she-cat, and Falcon gently pried her jaws open while Elise trickled the water into her mouth. Rone stroked her throat with his tail, and after a few moments, the weak she-cat swallowed._

_Rone, Elise, and Falcon grinned. Why, he wasn't sure. Perhaps they all had the same feeling that he did: this little she-cat was going to make it._

That she-cat had been Maggie. It had taken a whole moon for the cuts on her cheek and nose to heal, and another moon before she could even sit up all the way. She had to lean on another cat to walk, but within four moons she could walk around by herself, slowly. By five moons, Elise, Falcon, and even Rone himself had grown very attached to the sweet she-cat and invited her to stay with them for as long as she liked. She had accepted, and the family had been inseparable ever since.

Rone had spent a lot of time with Maggie, but he and the others still didn't know how she had gotten into the tree, or why she went or was brought there. From the tiny bits Maggie had accidentally let slip, it seemed like her parents or someone she was close to had been murdered, in front of her. The same cat that had killed them had come after Maggie, too, and she had twisted her paw running away. He had only ever caught up to her once, and sliced her nose and cheek. Maggie hadn't ever talked about how she had gotten into the tree, though; Rone doubted even she knew. But sometimes, Maggie would have awful nightmares that the tom was coming for her again, and he always caught her at the end.

Rone licked Maggie's head tenderly. She was still very young, about nine moons old, the age of some of the older apprentices in the Clan. "Come on," he meowed gently. "Let's go get you something to eat."

Maggie nodded slowly, and rose to her paws, shaking out her red and brownish brindled fur. She and Rone padded over to the freshkill pile, choosing a rabbit to share. Maggie turned and walked back toward their bush, carrying the rabbit, and Rone turned to follow her when he saw something he did not like.

Also choosing a piece of prey from the freshkill pile was a muscular black tom with scars crisscrossing his face. He leaned down to grab a mouse out of the pile, but his eyes weren't on his meal. They were following young Maggie, and traveling all over her pretty, sleek red coat as she settled outside the bush and took a bite of the rabbit. Rone's eyes narrowed when he glimpsed the lust and hunger in the tom's amber eyes. The tom wanted Maggie, but in a revolting way.

Before he knew it, Rone found himself with his paws planted firmly on the tom's chest. He shoved his face right up to the black tom's and snarled icily, "You touch one hair on her pelt, and I'll rip your throat out."

Then Rone turned away, letting the black tom get up. Rone trotted over to Maggie, and he was relieved that she hadn't seemed to notice Rone's conflict over by the freshkill pile. If she had seen it, she would've asked what it was about, and Rone knew he wouldn't be able to lie to her. She was eating the rabbit happily, but still leaving plenty for Rone.

After the two had eaten the rabbit, Maggie disappeared back in the bush to wake up lazy Falcon and Elise. Rone licked his muzzle clean, looking around and searching for Eagleclaw to ask about giving them better sleeping arrangements, but his eyes settled on a beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat instead.

The she-cat was stretching outside the warriors' den, her long, dark fur gleaming in the pale morning light. Another cat slipped out of the den, and the two she-cats chatted idly as they began grooming their fur. Rone observed her dark brown fur, splotched with large tan and golden markings. She had a dark face, with a pale orange streak running down the center. Covering her tortoiseshell pelt was a layer of tiny black dapples all over, completed with three dark paws and one dainty white one. Her playful green eyes were dazzling. She was, beyond any doubt, beautiful.

Rone knew he wasn't looking at her in the same way that the black tom had looked at Maggie. Perhaps he would talk with her casually one time, "accidentally" bump into her and see what her personality was like. If she already was with a tom, he would stop immediately; he didn't consider himself a dishonorable cat. But if the she-cat had a personality that he liked, perhaps he would get to know her better…

As he thought of this, he realized that a gray tabby tom had leaped up onto the tall stone formation at the side of camp with nothing there except the rock formation. It was called the RockPile, Rone remembered, and it was where Eagleclaw or Duststar would speak from during Clan meetings. It was Eagleclaw who had jumped up onto it.

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here around the RockPile for a Clan meeting!" the deputy yowled, his voice echoing off the rocky camp walls.

Suddenly, the clearing was full of cats, crowding around the RockPile and looking up at Eagleclaw. Rone quickly hurried over, wondering what the deputy had to say. He sat at the back of crowd, still able to clearly see the deputy. Maggie, Falcon, and Elise all settled beside him and looked up expectantly.

Eagleclaw looked down at StoneClan with his yellow-amber eyes. "Today," he meowed loudly, "I believe we have a warrior ceremony to complete."

The Clan whispered to each other, obviously surprised; it seemed that no one had expected a warrior ceremony, especially in the early morning. Rone wondered which apprentices would be made warriors that day.

"I will complete the ceremony today, for Goldenfur has informed me that Duststar is feeling a little bit ill, but he will recover in a few days." Eagleclaw looked down, sweeping the Clan with his cold gaze, probably looking to see if anyone would reject him completing the ceremony. Rone wouldn't be surprised if the Clan was relieved that Duststar wasn't doing it; from what he had gathered, Rone knew that Duststar, as old and crazy as he was, would always give awful names. "However," Eagleclaw said, "Duststar did give me the names for these apprentices." When no one said anything, most likely shocked that the cats would get awful warrior names anyway, Eagleclaw smiled a cold smile and meowed, "Good. Now, Thunderpaw, Troutpaw, and Rainpaw, come forward, please."

The mass of cats parted, letting three gray cats pad up to the base of the RockPile. They were obviously siblings. They looked rather upset, and Rone could understand why. Their proud moment of becoming a warrior would be ruined by the strange names they would be given.

Eagleclaw raised his muzzle. "I, Eagleclaw, deputy of StoneClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these three apprentices. They have trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."

He flicked his tail and meowed, "Thunderpaw, come forward." The largest gray cat stepped forward, yellow eyes gleaming. Eagleclaw meowed, "Thunderpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Thundercloud. StarClan honors you for your strength and loyalty." Thundercloud reached up to lick Eagleclaw's shoulder respectfully and then stepped back.

_Okay, _Rone thought. _Thundercloud's not such a bad name._

Eagleclaw was already calling forward the next cat, Troutpaw. His blue eyes were flaming, probably with anger about what his name would be. "Troutpaw," Eagleclaw meowed, smirking, "from this moment on, you shall be known as Troutfish. StarClan honors you for your determination and bravery."

Troutfish licked Eagleclaw's shoulder, eyes smoldering with rage, as Eagleclaw called up Rainpaw. She was a small flecked she-cat, with nervous blue eyes. "Rainpaw, from this moment on," Eagleclaw yowled, still smirking, "you shall be known as Raindrop. Starclan honors you for your quickness and intelligence."

The Clan hesitantly chanted the names, but eventually it got louder, the strange names ringing through the air. "Thundercloud! Troutfish! Raindrop! Thundercloud! Troutfish! Raindrop!"

"As is the tradition of our ancestors," Eagleclaw said, "our three new warriors will sit vigil tonight and watch over the camp."

With that, the deputy leaped down from the RockPile, and disappeared into Duststar's den. The Clan cats crowded around the three new warriors, congratulating them.

Rone and his group slowly padded away; they didn't know the newly-made warriors, so why congratulate them, especially with Troutfish and Raindrop having such awful names?

_Well, _Rone realized, _Duststar did have a certain line of thinking for the names. When it thunders, there are usually clouds. When Duststar heard "trout," the only thing he could think was that a trout is a fish. And rain comes in drops._

And so, the day passed quickly from then on. Falcon and Maggie had gone on a hunting patrol for the first time with three StoneClan cats. Rone and Elise went on two border patrols, one at sunhigh, and the other at dusk. Both times, the pretty tortoiseshell she-cat Rone had noticed that morning was the patrol leader. Rone had admired the way the she-cat, whose name was Mintfur, had made sure to mark each part of the border carefully, and directed the cats with good authority. He didn't have a chance to talk to her privately, really, but he realized that Mintfur seemed like the kind of she-cat who didn't take "no" for an answer, and seemed very determined and looked like she was stubborn.

Rone liked that.

One strange thing had happened, though. Just after dusk, as the Clan had settled down in their dens, Rone sat outside, looking at the sky as the stars began to appear. He swore he could hear murmuring coming from a cave nearby.

He silently sidled a little closer to the cave, and caught the conversation.

"We need more cats," came a growl. That sounded like Pebbletooth, one of Eagleclaw's cronies and biggest supporters.

Rone's ears pricked at the voice of the deputy himself. "All in due time, Pebbletooth," Eagleclaw meowed smoothly. "Wildstripe, did your patrol find any more groups of rogues or any loners north of the meadow that we claimed?"

Another tom, presumably Wildstripe, replied, "We didn't see any cats, but we found scent markers and scatterings of prey remains. It seems like there are at least two groups in the area. One has about three cats; the other has about four or five. Definitely rogues."

"Well," Eagleclaw said confidently, "soon we will invite them to join the Clan. After all, stupid rogues will take the bait of free food and protection. _Then, _Pebbletooth, we will have enough cats to launch an attack on the other Clans."

Rone bristled at the comment about stupid rogues, but was shocked by the fact that Eagleclaw only wanted more cats to attack the other Clans. He kept listening, ears pricked.

"The Gathering is three nights from now," Wildstripe meowed eagerly. "When will our contacts come with the 'evidence'?"

The way Wildstripe had said "evidence," Rone knew that it was probably something fake about the other Clans, something that would be used against them.

"Our LeafClan contact will come early tomorrow, just before dawn. I will go and meet them. At sunhigh, the BreezeClan contact will come, and then at moonhigh, the StreamClan contact will come," Eagleclaw meowed. He sounded pleased as he continued. "They will each bring remains of prey eaten by their Clanmates, covered in the scents of each Clan." There was the sound of claws scratching on rock, as if Eagleclaw was kneading the stone floor in his pleasure. "Then we will have our fake proof that the Clans are stealing our prey, and then we will announce it at the Gathering, try and bring on some tension as the fools yell and say they aren't thieves. That will rile everyone up."

Rone could almost see Pebbletooth nodding as he meowed quietly, but in a voice full of excitement, "And with such tension, the other Clans are bound to have more skirmishes, maybe even a battle. When they're weak, we'll attack each Clan, drive them out, and take their territory!"

There was a slight purr as Eagleclaw meowed, "Yes. That is the idea, Pebbletooth. While the others tear each other apart, StoneClan can watch, wait, and then pick off all three Clans when they are the most vulnerable. It will take many moons, but it will happen. StoneClan will rule all four territories!"

Delighted purrs echoed quietly from inside the cave.

Rone's eyes widened, and he quickly slipped back over toward the bush and sat just in front of it, looking up once more at the darkening sky, tinged slightly purple. He suppressed a sigh; he was so confused. Eagleclaw wanted to take in more rogues so that StoneClan would have an even larger population, then use prey remains as fake evidence to make the other Clans fight each other, and then StoneClan would drive them all out to rule all the territory? Was Eagleclaw so ambitious he wished to rule the whole forest? It was crazy.

Rone didn't know what to do. He only wanted to stay with his family until this strange weather ended, and then sneak out. But now, that didn't seem possible, if Eagleclaw really was getting even more cats. It would be hard to leave unnoticed. And if the strange weather didn't end by the time Eagleclaw had decided to drive out the other Clans, Rone knew they would be forced to fight. Looking behind him at the bush, he thought of his little family. He, Falcon, and Elise were all very good fighters; that had come from life as rogues. But Maggie was more of a hunter than a fighter, and Rone's heart clenched when he pictured the little red she-cat trying to fend off battle-hungry warriors. Rone could almost hear Maggie's yowls of pain.

_I won't let that happen, _Rone thought firmly. _We won't get caught up in Eagleclaw's stupid plan._

Rone knew it was none of his business, having just joined the Clan, but in a way he didn't want the other Clans to be driven out. Where would they go? Each Clan had queens and kits, and old cats that couldn't travel far. And Rone didn't want his group to be involved in a giant battle; he didn't want to risk them getting hurt. He knew that he had to warn the other Clans; it would be hard to get away, but Rone knew that if he wanted to protect his group, and the other Clans, he had to warn them.

But he had to do it before this Gathering, before Eagleclaw brought the false evidence that the Clans were stealing prey, and before the warriors all got riled up and ready to attack any cat from any other Clan. And while he was at it, Rone might warn the leaders that StoneClan had contacts in all Clans.

And after deciding this, Rone simply sat and enjoyed the night. It was cold, and his breath puffed up in front of him, but he didn't mind the chilliness. He could just make out the silhouettes of the new warriors sitting at the entrance, keeping their silent vigil, whatever the point of it was. He looked up at the black sky, dotted with silver stars that shined brightly. Rone had always had a fascination with the stars, the way they gleamed and glittered. They looked so far away, but when a cat died, their soul would travel easily, as light as feather, up to that moon-lit forest and greet loved ones gone before them.

After about an hour after the moon had risen, Rone rose to his paws, muscles stiff from the cold. He slipped silently into the bush, and curled up in between Maggie and Elise. It was much warmer with them pressing against him slightly, and a smile curled his muzzle as relaxation and sleepiness enveloped him.

Before he fell asleep, one last thought penetrated his tired mind: _No matter what Eagleclaw's plans are, I will protect them. _

_I must protect my family._

**StoneClan has contacts in all three Clans? Especially oh-so-loyal LeafClan? WHAT? …. DUNDUNDUNNNNN**

**And obviously, all those strange things that Duststar saw in their eyes when he met the rogues, such as the fact that they looked "too-well groomed, and had a hungry look in their eyes," is all completely untrue. Just goes to show how Duststar is really losing his grip on reality. **

**I actually enjoy writing from Rone's POV. He has a very complex personality: he's protective of his little family, sympathetic towards the poor new warriors with awful names, and kind enough. But altogether, he really doesn't care much for the Clans, only mainly for his little family, and he isn't afraid to use the Clan as a source of food and shelter because of the weather. And he seems very impulsive. And although he may not want a she-cat like that disgusting black cat wanted Maggie, Rone does want a she-cat one day, obviously.**

**Honestly, I don't know what the point of this chapter was. Maybe it was just to get a look into the life of StoneClan, I really have no clue. I just did a chapter from the POV of the most random character I could think of.**

**And I noticed I put in there that "he had groomed his fur to perfection." Um… Rone is a tom, but I guess he's strangely fastidious with his fur. Well then. Strange. **

**Anyway, remember: NO MORE UPDATES UNTIL I GET REVIEWS.**

**And… poor Maggie. Gotta love her, right? She's adorable. **


	10. Chapter 9

**Hello again! I know, I know, more late updates... I'm sorry. :( My teachers are slave-drivers and give sooo muccchhhh homework! Anyways, thanks so much to Lillystem111 for reviewing! (Who was pretty much the only one, may I add). **

**Lilly: Sorry, Badgerpelt and Ivybuzzard won't get together! Badgerpelt already has a mate, actually, you just don't know who yet. As for Brackenpaw being kicked out... you'll have to wait and see. I'm evil, teehee. And "Rone" is pronounced like Rome but with an "n", yes. There are four Clans: StoneClan, LeafClan, StreamClan, and BreezeClan. If you've ever read the real Warriors series, StoneClan is kinda like ShadowClan, LeafClan is like ThunderClan, StreamClan is like RiverClan, and BreezeClan is like WindClan. And about that pretty she-cat, Mintfur, that Rone liked? Well, I hadn't really planned on her becoming a major character, but maybe... I also enjoyed all the smiley faces in your reviews! :)**

**Here is Chapter 9, people! **

He blearily blinked open his eyes.

Pinepaw immediately felt the pain again, the flames of agony flaring wildly with every heartbeat, but he held back a cry of pain at the agony that had already almost become a familiar occurrence. He blinked some more, trying to distract himself from his pain, and looked around.

It was night, he could tell that much. Through the fern fronds that rose above him, he could just see the outline of a pale moon. A chilly breeze rattled the ferns, but Pinepaw was warmer on the ground, at least, sheltered by the leafy plants. He knew that he was in the corner of camp, in that fern patch that he had seen so many times. He could scent his Clanmates through the ferns, and he could almost picture them milling around the clearing and some leaving to go on patrol.

Pinepaw screwed up his face, gritted his teeth, and rolled over so that he was lying on his stomach. He whimpered as the agony worsened even more when he moved, but was distracted by a rustling. He laid his head on his paws, just managing to stifle a yelp as Rosefur padded in quietly, a bundle of leaves gripped in her jaws, cobwebs dangling off of them.

She looked up in surprise when she saw Pinepaw in a different position, and placed the herb packet on the ground. She smiled slightly, and purred, "I see you're feeling a little stronger today." She moved closer, and began to weave around him, as if examining his wounds.

Pinepaw began to get dizzy from her constant circles and closed his eyes; he still felt extremely delirious and ill from the combination of pain and large amounts of blood that he had lost.

Suddenly, he felt a paw touch flank gently, pushing on the cobwebs carefully. And then came the memories.

They were short and clipped, but they came nonetheless.

Ice-blue eyes peering down at him with a murderous gleam. Being dropped onto glinting, silver pointed teeth. Hearing the loud cracks as countless bones broke. Feeling the icy water envelope him.

It was all too much for Pinepaw, and his mind began to work so fast and without any sort of logic. _Rosefur… she'll hurt me more, _Pinepaw thought frantically. _I need to get away… move away from her…_

The young tom flinched away from the paw that was treating a scratch on his flank, and this time he couldn't hold back the shriek that tore its way out of his throat. Pinepaw didn't know what to think, because then pain overwhelmed everything, and he started to tremble uncontrollably as he thought of those eyes and the agony that pounded through him.

_Ice-blue eyes… blue eyes… cutting, tearing, breaking… ice… hateful, cold, uncaring… as icy as the river…_

Pinepaw couldn't stop the trembling. He opened his eyes the tiniest bit, and saw Rosefur peering down at him anxiously. She crouched down lower, very slowly, so that she was on Pinepaw's level. "It's okay," she murmured soothingly. "I promise, I won't hurt you. I'm helping you, putting cobwebs and herbs on your wounds." She cocked her head to the side, and so that Pinepaw could see it and not be startled, she slowly moved her tail and rested it gently across the back of his neck, one of the few places on his body that only had a single cut on it.

"Pinepaw," Rosefur meowed gently. "Try to stop the shaking. You're only causing yourself more pain."

Pinepaw blinked, his mind racing. _It's okay, _he told himself firmly. _It's just Rosefur. She's the medicine cat; she _helps _cats, not hurts them. She'll never be like… him. _Even in Pinepaw's thoughts, he couldn't bring himself to say his torturer's name. And no matter how many times he repeated in his head that Rosefur wouldn't harm him, he couldn't stop trembling.

He opened his mouth to speak, and even the simple task of opening his jaw the slightest bit caused him pain. "I-I can't," the apprentice whispered tightly.

Rosefur's eyes were full of pity. "Perhaps… there is something, or someone that I can get that would help comfort you?" she asked gently.

Pinepaw didn't even have to think before a flash of golden fur and amber eyes appeared in his brain. "Heatherpaw," he meowed quietly.

Pinepaw felt surprised at the name that had come out of his mouth, but Rosefur didn't look fazed in the least. She simply nodded, told him to stay put, and slipped out of the fern patch.

While he waited, the young tom squeezed his eyes shut, and tried to shove the thoughts out of his brain of those icy eyes. Unbearable, tormenting agony wracked his body, and he let out another whimper.

_Why me, StarClan? _Pinepaw begged silently. _You said I won't die, but why put me through this pain?_

If it was possible, his trembling worsened. Misery flooded every bone of his body, and he could feel his fur rippling as he shook. No matter how hard he tried, bright blue eyes kept appearing in his mind. He cried out again, exhausted from his shaking, the excruciating pain, and mostly the image of a dark face and those evil, evil eyes…

Pinepaw couldn't take it anymore. How would he make it through one more hour of this, let alone one more day? At the sound of quiet rustling just in front of him, the young tom's eyes flew open so fast it almost hurt. Rosefur entered first, and Pinepaw flinched away.

Then, a familiar scent drifted gently toward him, and Heatherpaw stepped out from the ferns. Her amber eyes were wide, almost scared, and her steps were cautious. As she approached, Pinepaw couldn't help but shrink back in terror. Heatherpaw hesitated just in front of him, and looked over him to Rosefur.

"It's alright," Pinepaw heard Rosefur whisper to Heatherpaw. "Just lay next to him." Heatherpaw slowly drew closer, and Pinepaw closed his eyes, waiting for the blow to come. He was tense and panicking, and he had forgotten that he had been the one to ask for Heatherpaw to come. Then, suddenly, he felt soft fur press gently against his right flank. Within moments, his terror lessened.

The young tom relaxed, and pressed against Heatherpaw's soft golden coat. He almost seemed to melt into her side. He couldn't believe it. He wasn't scared. The pain was still there, as strong as ever, but he was distracted and he felt peaceful for the first time since… since his torture.

He could feel Heatherpaw tense at his reaction, but then she purred softly and pressed her nose to his ear.

Rosefur wove around in front of Pinepaw, a small smile curling her muzzle. "Well, that worked quite well." She drew closer to Pinepaw, slowly and carefully, but Pinepaw wasn't scared. Heatherpaw was with him. It was all that mattered. He knew she wouldn't let anything happen to him.

"Pinepaw," Rosefur meowed gently to him, "the first thing I need to do is set the bone in your forepaw that's broken. Then, I need to bind up your shoulder. It's going to hurt more than ever." There was a sad look in her eyes.

Pinepaw felt panic rush through him again, but he nodded. The movement made him feel dizzy and he pressed harder against Heatherpaw. Suddenly, it felt like a tree had dropped on his paw. He yowled his pain to the sky, and then fell limp against Heatherpaw. Stars danced in front of him, and he felt like he had to throw up.

A small whisper tickled his ear fur. "It's okay," Heatherpaw whispered. "You're going to be okay." The moment she said that, Pinepaw could feel Rosefur pressing with her paws on his shattered shoulder. Heatherpaw kept whispering comforting words in his ear, but they did nothing to stop the agony from coming. The pain was so much greater, and there were no words to describe it. For a few moments, pure torture flooded through his weak body. He couldn't make a single sound. He parted his jaws in a soundless scream of agony, and then everything went black.

* * *

><p>When Pinepaw awoke again, he no longer felt pain. He felt something worse: fire.<p>

The flames raced across his body. He could _feel _the heat pulsing through his veins, moving over his fur. He wiggled uncomfortably, but it did nothing to staunch the fire. Pinepaw weakly forced open his eyes, and saw Rosefur peering down at him with worry in her eyes.

He could just feel a tongue licking at his fur ferociously. _Heatherpaw? _he wondered.

Pinepaw knew that something was wrong. He felt stiff, and even weaker than before. There was no pain, only the pulsing fire that heated him fiercely. The word _infection _drifted up from somewhere in his mind. The word didn't go away.

Once again, darkness clouded around the apprentice.

* * *

><p>Quiet meows woke him this time. Heatherpaw's warm presence wasn't beside him anymore. The fire was still there, but Pinepaw ignored it. His mind felt fuzzy and dim, but he could make out the voices of the two cats that were talking nearby. He tried to open his eyes, but he simply couldn't because of the delirium that had taken hold of him. He settled for just listening.<p>

"I'm sorry," one voice murmured. That was Rosefur. "At this point, Pinepaw's fate rests in the paws of StarClan."

A sad whimper came from the second cat. "Why? Why my only son?" Pinepaw was surprised; it was the familiar meow of his mother, Thistlestripe.

Rosefur sighed. "Thistlestripe, not even StarClan can shape a cat's destiny all the time. It was simply a freak occurrence, brought upon Pinepaw by Brackenpaw."

There was a moment of silence before Pinepaw's mother spoke again. "If… if there's even the slightest possibility that he may survive, w-what would his life be like?"

"Well," Rosefur meowed reluctantly, "his quality of life would be very poor, and that's the best case scenario. His shoulder will never work properly, what with all those broken bones. I would never be able to heal it completely. He would have a permanent limp. Not only that, but he would always be in pain. Some part of his body will always ache. He won't be as strong as other cats, and will be more prone to sickness. Also…" She sighed. "He would be scarred, physically, and emotionally."

Thistlestripe meowed quietly, "What do you mean… emotionally scarred?"

Rosefur replied, "Because Brackenpaw tortured him, Pinepaw will never be very sociable. He'll be scared to interact with or come close to other cats. He'll always be scared that someone will attack him again. He most likely will be a bad fighter, because he won't be able to bring himself to strike another cat. Pinepaw will never have the same personality, and he'll be nervous. Always wary."

Thistlestripe's meow was shaky. "What you're saying is… he'll die, anyway? Even if he does make it, he'll always be a disabled elder?"

Rosefur sighed once more. "I'm sorry, Thistlestripe. I truly am. A few hours ago, when he woke up and was with Heatherpaw and moving a little, I started to get hopeful. But now, he has this infection. It's a bad infection, too. I believe that Pinepaw managed to scratch Brackenpaw a few times during the torture, but since some of Pinepaw's cuts are so wide, Brackenpaw's blood may have entered Pinepaw's body. This causes severe infection. From cases like this, infection is always the fatal blow."

Thistlestripe whimpered. "Oh, my baby." Pinepaw heard the brush of fur as she crouched down. "Maybe it's good I'm blind," she whispered. "At least I can't see him suffering. I wouldn't be able to handle it. First Ashleaf, and now my baby…"

Pinepaw strained to open his eyes, to even blink. He wanted to assure his mother that he would be okay; StarClan had told him so, and if Pinepaw couldn't put his faith in his warrior ancestors, then who could he believe in?

But he felt too weak, and hot… so, so hot as fever and infection coursed through his body. He just wanted it to end… for the umpteenth time, he fell into a dizzying black hole.

* * *

><p>When his eyes flicked open once more, the fire was still there, and he moaned. The infection was almost worse than the agony he had felt before. However, something was different now. His chest felt tight, his body stiff, and each breath rasped and burned in his throat.<p>

Pinepaw's vision cleared momentarily, and he saw Rosefur hurriedly mixing together some herbs. He caught a glimpse of golden fur, and didn't need to be told that it was Heatherpaw. Thistlestripe lay huddled at the edge of the small fern clearing that had been flattened down, her sightless gaze fixed on the ground just in front of her.

Pinepaw took another fiery breath, and it caught in his throat. He burst into a fit of coughing, and squeezed his eyes shut as hoarse, weak coughs racked his frail body. Heatherpaw licked his head fiercely. "Rosefur," the apprentice meowed between licks. "Rosefur, can't you help him?"

Pinepaw heard the medicine cat shuffle closer, and push something toward him. He opened his eyes the tiniest bit, and glimpsed the sorrow in her eyes. "Pinepaw," she said gently. "Can you eat this?" She pushed some leaves closer.

He reached out, wincing at the pain of the tiny movement, and grabbed one leaf in his mouth. But when he tried to chew, another cough and harsh breath made him spit it back out. He gasped for air.

Rosefur's sorrow deepened, and it was almost like Pinepaw could smell it. "Just as I thought," she meowed gravely. The old medicine cat turned to Heatherpaw, who pressed herself harder against his pelt.

"I'm sorry, Heatherpaw. You may want to say your good-bye. This is his last night. If he can't swallow herbs, there is nothing I can do to help him. He's in too much pain, and the infection is driving the life out of him. I'll tell Thistlestripe." Rosefur looked defeated as she padded away and murmured something in Thistlestripe's ear.

While Thistlestripe stared sightlessly into space, her gaze filled with horror and grief, Heatherpaw buried her nose in Pinepaw's uninjured right shoulder. "No," she whispered, her voice muffled and choked. "No, you can't die. You've come so far."

The golden apprentice crouched in front of Pinepaw, and he forced his eyes wider to meet her desperate golden gaze. "You can't leave," she meowed fiercely. "I _know _you won't join StarClan yet. You can't, you just can't." She licked his muzzle. "Please, Pinepaw, stay with me!"

Pinepaw couldn't speak, he only closed his eyes. He took another shaky breath, but couldn't find the strength to cough. Even Pinepaw was beginning to doubt StarClan; he felt like he was dying. Suddenly, he felt a nose press softly to his ear. "My baby," Thistlestripe forced out, her voice thick with grief. "My darling Pinepaw. I love you so much."

Suddenly, Pinepaw felt Thistlestripe turn away from him. "Rosefur, get Spottedstar," the pale tabby begged. "If he dies, I want him to join StarClan as a warrior. I know he's still so young, but I want my baby to go as a brave warrior." There was a slight moment of silence, but then Rosefur meowed a quiet agreement and padded away.

Pinepaw opened his eyes a bit and stared up at his mother. He forced open his jaws, and managed to utter three simple words that caused him agony. "I'll be okay." The meow came out hoarse and weak, and Thistlestripe pasted on a tiny, mourning smile.

"Of course, baby," she whispered, curling up next to him and licking his fur slowly, lovingly. Obviously, Pinepaw's mother didn't believe that he would live another hour. Pinepaw could only hope that StarClan was keeping its promise. A rattling sigh came from his mouth.

He didn't really want to be made a warrior. It only showed that everyone pretty much believed he would die that night. But if he didn't, would he keep the warrior name?

Heatherpaw pressed against his other side and whispered so quietly in his ear that he barely heard her words. "I know that you'll be okay," she breathed. Pinepaw felt relieved; at least one cat knew he would live.

There was a rustle, and Rosefur's and Spottedstar's scents hit Pinepaw's nose. But he couldn't open his eyes again. He felt weaker than ever, and the fire was still burning fiercely in his veins.

"Are you sure, Rosefur?" Spottedstar's tired meow was cracked with sadness. "Are you sure that… it's his time?"

Pinepaw couldn't see it, but he knew that Rosefur was nodding. "Yes. The infection has taken over his body, and he's in too much pain to withstand. He will join StarClan soon."

Pinepaw suddenly felt angry. Why were they all giving up on him? Why were they talking about his death right in front of him? He wasn't going to die, anyway.

At least, he hoped he wasn't going to.

Thistlestripe's mournful, heartbroken voice split the silence. "Brother," she whispered. "If he's going to die, I want him to go as a warrior. I know he only ever had a quarter moon of training, and he's still so young, but…" Her voice almost rose into a dismal wail.

Spottedstar sighed. "I will perform the ceremony." There was a thud of paws as the leader moved forward and pressed his muzzle to Pinepaw's cheek. "You held on as long as you could, like a true warrior," he murmured. "There is not a cat that deserves a warrior name more than you."

The leader stepped back, and meowed, "I ask my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has learned the warrior code and given up his life in the service of his Clan. Let StarClan receive him as a warrior." He paused, as if thinking. "He will be known as… Pineblaze." Spottedstar pressed his nose gently to the top of Pineblaze's head.

"LeafClan will always honor you for the blaze of enthusiasm and energy that fills you, the blazing flames of loyalty in your heart, and most of all, the blaze of your compassion, care, and love for your Clanmates," Spottedstar meowed in a voice cracked with despondence and mourning.

_Blaze, _Pinepaw thought deliriously. _Fitting, for the blazing fire that feels like it's burning me alive._

There was a quiet rustle as Spottedstar backed away into the ferns and left. Rosefur sighed, and Pineblaze heard the brush of fur as she followed the leader. Thistlestripe licked his cheek lovingly, murmuring his new name over and over and repeating how much she loved him. Heatherpaw remained silent, and only pressed against him harder.

Pineblaze felt angry again. Everyone, it seemed, had given up on him. Just not Heatherpaw.

Suddenly, flames burst in his whole body with an explosion that made him cough and cough and cough… and then he let out a single yowl, one short, agony-filled yowl, before falling into darkness.

* * *

><p>Pineblaze wasn't exactly awake, but he knew he wasn't asleep either. He was floating in warmth, and no pain or fire wracked his body. He was simply… there. Floating. He almost felt like he was waiting for something, but he didn't know what.<p>

Suddenly, fur brushed in on all sides of him, and many different smells filled the air. However, he wasn't afraid. Rather, he felt secure and at peace with these strange, shadowy cats around him.

Voices split the silence of the darkness. Pineblaze knew they were separate voices, but they wove together, and became one, shining chorus that echoed softly in his ears.

_Pineblaze, you will live. You will survive. No other cat would be able to go through the agony that you have gone through thus far. No other cat would still be alive if they were feeling the pain you felt._

_Because you are special, Pineblaze. That is why StarClan has chosen you, along with the others._

_You are special. You have talents. Not merely talents, they are gifts. Gifts that you were born with._

_You will be able to know when you meet others with powers. You will always know whether a cat is telling the truth or if they are lying by simply looking in their eyes._

_But above all, you are strong. You are brave, and ready to sacrifice anything for what you believe in. You are strong because of this._

_Where no strength can be found, you will find it. When others fail and give up, you will thrive. When others stand down, you will stand up, for what you believe in. Where there is no courage, you will find it. Others may see darkness, but you will see light. _

_Because no matter what happens to you, no matter what befalls you, no matter what pain you may feel, you will stay strong. When there is no courage, no light… when there is nothing, and when everything feels shattered, like a lightning-struck tree, and when everything is bruised and broken… you will be strong._

_These are the powers that you have been blessed with, and the powers that you will always have._

_Use them wisely. _

**So, please... more reviews. And tell me what you think of Pineblaze's name! I know, not very creative... I was gonna do Pineheart, but that's just TOO simple, and then I was trying Pinefire (which looks weird and sounds weird) or Pineflame (sounds funny, too) and Pineblaze seemed like the only one that fit! I wasn't feeling very creative, it takes brainpower to come up with names! xD**

**Anyways... I would really appreciate to have some more reviews, seeing as Lillystem111 was the only reviewer last time, so I am very sad :'(**

**In your reviews, don't just put "please review" or "please update" or "this story is amazing!" I would like some honest feedback, such as what you like, what you don't like, and some suggestions as to what you want to happen. Never know, i might just use your ideas!**

**Also... Cloverfrost and Honeyflower's kits are going to need some names! Soon, they will have their kits. (If you don't know who they are, just check the Allegiances and take a look under LeafClan queens.**

**Anyways, i'm gonna need a whole bunch of names... Cloverfrost will have between 1 and 3 kits, as will Honeyflower... I haven't decided how many, or what their names will be, but THEY NEED NAMES!**

**So feel free to offer suggestions! Also, i only take canon names. Please, no names like Dreamkit, Doomkit, Violetkit, Spiritkit, Starkit, Moonkit, or anything like that!**


	11. Chapter 10: Eagleclaw

**Holy moly! Double update! **

**Sorry, I had this chapter done, so I decided to post it. I'm in a writing mood, I guess.**

The tom stretched in the shade of the RockPile, purring with pleasure at the way his black-striped fur rippled across his strong muscles and solid form. He gazed approvingly at his Clan through half-closed eyes, nodding.

Each StoneClan cat was well-fed, groomed, and with bright eyes. At the past two Gatherings, around when the strange weather had started, the other Clan cats had grown a bit skinnier, and rumors of whitecough and greencough in the other three Clans had spread throughout the Gatherings.

Eagleclaw had been happy. It made the other Clans all the weaker.

He slipped out from RockPile's shadow and shook out his fur in the pale dawn light. He sat down near the freshkill pile, and waited while the cats settled around him, waiting for their orders for the day.

"A border patrol needs to check the StreamClan boundary," he boomed in an authoritative voice. "Sheepthroat will lead it. At sunhigh, Runningbrook will lead a border patrol at the LeafClan border. Two hunting patrols need to go out; Mintfur, lead one, and Thundercloud, lead the other." He thought for a moment before calling out, "Mintfur will take Rone, Elise, Falcon, and Maggie on her patrol." He sought out the tortoiseshell she-cat in the crowd, and meowed to her, "Show them more of the territory, and make sure they know how to hunt correctly among boulders."

The she-cat nodded and slipped off to the bush in the corner where the rogues were staying.

Eagleclaw continued, "Each patrol leader may choose the cats they bring. Everyone gather later to find out who will go on the sunset and moonhigh patrols." Many cats nodded, while others got up and started calling out names. Soon, the patrols slipped out of the camp entrance, and the rest of the Clan either took prey and ate, or chatted idly with their friends.

Eagleclaw padded over to Pebbletooth and Wildstripe, who were sharing a blackbird. "When you are done, see me in the spare cave," he growled. He whirled around and stalked off, not even bothering to make sure they nodded; he knew they would. The two cats were pretty much brainless, but they were both strong fighters and practically worshipped him, so Eagleclaw figured that they were okay cats to keep around.

He padded into the small spare cave at the edge of the camp and sat impatiently on the stone, tapping his tail on the rock. A few minutes later, the two warriors entered the cave and sat in front of the deputy with expectant looks on their faces.

Eagleclaw growled angrily. "This morning, just before dawn, I went to the LeafClan border. The contact did not come, even though I waited there for a long time. I nearly got caught by a LeafClan border patrol." He rose to his paws, and stalked back and forth.

Wildstripe meowed, "Perhaps they were busy, or they couldn't find the right time to slip off."

Then Pebbletooth voiced Eagleclaw's own fear. "Unless LeafClan found out who the contact was."

Eagleclaw sighed and sat down. "The only thing that could have happened is that someone tipped off LeafClan as to who it was." He pondered in his brain, but couldn't come up with a single StoneClan cat, or any cat, really, that would do such a thing.

"Well," Wildstripe rumbled, "perhaps all you can do now is see if the BreezeClan and StreamClan contacts come. If they don't, then we know for sure that someone tipped off the Clans."

Pebbletooth scratched at the floor, anger glowing in his dull blue eyes. "I can't believe it," he spat. "We won't be able to carry out our plan at the Gathering."

The fur lifted momentarily along Eagleclaw's spine, but he forced it back down. "Anyway, as Wildstripe said, I will wait and see if the other contacts come. But there's nothing I can do right now. So," he mused. "Has there been any news on our little escapees?"

Pebbletooth was the first to respond this time. "None of the patrols have picked up their scent. It must have been washed away by the blizzard that night."

"It was the perfect time to slip away," Wildstripe added. "They must have known that the storm was coming, and decided that it would be the best time to leave unnoticed. Not to mention, Bluemask and Scorcholive were on guard that night, and they had been overworked all day. They were probably tired, and easy for the stupid traitors to knock out."

Eagleclaw narrowed his eyes. He had his suspicions about Bluemask and Scorcholive. Scorcholive was Puddlelizard's best friend, and they probably would have become mates, while Bluemask had been close to Crownest and Ivybuzzard. The deputy also wondered about Redpaw, Fawnpaw, Seedpaw, and Wolfpaw. It seemed that in every spare moment, the four apprentices would meet up together and whisper quietly with their heads bent and ears pricked. Was it possible that the two warriors and four apprentices were also rebels?

He shook his head. It wasn't possible. Bluemask and Scorcholive were both loyal warriors. They had to be. And as for the apprentices… what could they do? They were still young. He decided to leave the decision alone for the moment.

"What worries me," Eagleclaw meowed slowly, "is that Dapplefire escaped with her three kits, and Brightdawn was very close to giving birth." He tipped his head to one side. "Crownest would want a medicine cat there when his mate went into labor, so they probably took refuge in another Clan." He paused, thinking. "LeafClan would be the obvious choice; they're the closest, but I doubt even the traitors would be stupid enough to become members of a Clan so close to StoneClan. If I had to guess, I would say they joined BreezeClan."

Wildstripe was nodding. "I figured the same. However, sir, without Dapplefire's kits and Brightdawn's, the Clan only has Petalkit and Grasskit. We need more cats."

Eagleclaw nodded. "I share your concern, Wildstripe. I believe, though, it won't be long until Mintfur moves into the nursery." Wildstripe looked confused, while Pebbletooth looked like he was at a complete loss. The deputy bit back a hiss of annoyance at their cluelessness and explained, "Haven't you seen the way Rone has been staring at Mintfur? Besides, it's about time that she-cat took a mate. Not to mention, having a StoneClan mate would strengthen the rogues' ties to this Clan."

Pebbletooth nodded slowly, comprehending. "Those rogue cats, they seem okay. They work just as hard as any Clan cat, really."

Eagleclaw sighed. "Well, while we wait for Mintfur and Rone to get together, I've decided to let you two lead a band of warriors to overtake those two rogue groups you scented beyond the meadow we claimed, farther north."

The two warriors brightened at this as the deputy continued. "You can bring about ten to twelve cats; that should be enough. Bring strong warriors, and perhaps a couple older apprentices, such as Oatpaw or Logpaw. Find one group, and then the other. If you can, take them without bloodshed. Tell them all about Clan life; make it sound like the best thing in the world, do whatever you have to so that they join. Perhaps there will be some queens with kits to strengthen the Clan."

When Wildstripe and Pebbletooth meowed quick acceptances of his orders, Eagleclaw flicked his tail in dismissal and meowed, "Go and select the cats now. Leave at sunhigh. I will escort your patrol to the meadow and on the way back, I will go and see if the BreezeClan contact shows up."

Once the two warriors had left the den, Eagleclaw laid down, thinking. Thoughts of rebellion certainly worried him, and he was concerned that the Clan had so little kits. StoneClan had lost two apprentices, two queens, and three warriors when those traitors had escaped. And now that the LeafClan contact hadn't shown up… He grunted in frustration. Sometimes, running a Clan weighed heavily upon his shoulders.

* * *

><p>A few hours passed. Eagleclaw laid underneath the RockPile again, picking at a mouse halfheartedly. He had led Wildstripe and Pebbletooth, along with their patrol, to the edge of the meadow. On the way back, he swerved by the StreamClan border, where the BreezeClan contact was going to meet him. He had waited there for almost an hour, before leaving.<p>

Eagleclaw was in a foul mood. Now, it was obvious that someone had tipped off the Clans about the contacts. He doubted it was Wildstripe and Pebbletooth; they were too thick-skulled to think anything through like that. Also, the two warriors were the only ones that knew of his plans. Unless someone had overheard them talking about their plans the previous night…

Eagleclaw sighed, and took another small bite of the mouse. He had already organized the patrols for the rest of the day, so at least he didn't need to worry about that. Unfortunately, most of the apprentices, including Seedpaw, were out of camp at the moment, so he had no one to take his anger out on.

As the deputy looked across the clearing, he saw Mintfur shyly approaching Rone, who was talking with Falcon beneath a rock overhand at the edge of the camp. In the tortoiseshell's jaws was a plump rabbit. She placed it down in front of Rone and said something, presumably if they would like to share, and Rone smiled at the she-cat.

Within moments, the two were sharing the rabbit, talking to each other in between mouthfuls. Falcon had gone to chat with other StoneClan cats, seeing that the two wanted to be alone. Eagleclaw smiled. Hopefully, Rone and Mintfur would be parents soon. That meant more warriors for StoneClan, which was fine with him.

Eagleclaw wondered when he should give the rogues their warrior names. They'd really only been at the StoneClan camp for a little while, but they worked hard and seemed loyal enough. He decided he'd wait for a little while, just to make sure they were ready.

He sighed once more, feeling bored and unsure of what to do, before placing his head on his paws and dozing off.

* * *

><p>A while later, probably a few hours, Eagleclaw blinked open his amber eyes. The sun was dipping below the horizon, and he got up and stretched, slightly embarrassed and irritated that he'd slept so long. He wondered what had woke him up; the clearing was mostly empty. Then he heard the scuff of many paws, and eyes gleamed at the camp entrance.<p>

Wildstripe, Pebbletooth, and the rest of the patrol filed in, with about nine cats that Eagleclaw didn't know padding after them. The strange cats, Eagleclaw realized, must be the rogues.

Seeing the StoneClan patrol's smooth fur and uninjured bodies, he thought, _Good. The rogues came without a fight._

Wildstripe and Pebbletooth murmured to the strange cats to stay put, and then started moving toward Eagleclaw. The deputy gave his chest fur a couple licks, and then walked forward to meet his warriors and the new Clan additions.

Eagleclaw felt pleased and satisfied as he walked over. With more cats, StoneClan would be stronger. He would make a new plan to weaken the other Clans, and by then, he would probably have more cats. It wouldn't be long before he could take over the forest and drive out the other Clans.

Eagleclaw struggled to keep from baring his teeth at the memory of his mother's death. The other Clans had been so stupid, to drive that badger off their land and onto StoneClan territory without even telling StoneClan. Then that creature had murdered his mother, and Duststar had witnessed it.

Eagleclaw knew that it wasn't his father's fault that he was so different now. He felt pity for his old father, who had become skinnier and almost… deranged. He couldn't think for himself and couldn't remember anything, it seemed.

And not to mention, Ashleaf was dead. His only brother had died from greencough, and not in even in StoneClan! Eagleclaw would forever blame LeafClan. Somehow, when Ashleaf had joined LeafClan as a spy for StoneClan, they must have brainwashed him into actually becoming a LeafClan cat. Ashleaf had gotten a mate and now, Eagleclaw believed, had a son… in LeafClan.

As far as Eagleclaw was concerned, the other Clans were the source of all his grief. And he would get his revenge on every single one of them.

_For you, Ashleaf, because you became a different cat, changed by LeafClan, _he thought angrily and passionately. _For you, Lilynose, because of the badger that killed you so viciously because the other Clans were so stupid to drive it onto StoneClan land. For you, Duststar, because you went crazy after you had to watch Lilynose get murdered._

_And for you, Sheen. My darling, my sweet, beautiful Sheen. You are the one I will really avenge. _

_The Clans will fall for what they did to me. For the pain they caused me._

_But mostly for the pain they caused to my dearest Sheen. _

**I hope that left you fairly confused!**

**Anyways, please, still review on Chapter 9 and this one. Remember: actually give critique, but please no flames!**

**I will work on Chapter 11 soon, and it'll probably be extremeelllyyy longggg so be prepared for me to take a while.**

**This chappie took so little time because it's probably the shortest chapter so far.**

**Anways: REVIEW**


	12. Chapter 11

**Finally, update! Lovely!**

**This chappie is really a filler and not very important, and I sincerely apologize if you find yourself slamming your head against the wall in boredom; *sighhh* WRITERS BLOCK SUCKS.**

**Anyways… yeah.** **I think that's it for now. Enjoy!**

"Pineblaze," a soft voice murmured in his ear. "Pineblaze, please wake up."

With enormous effort, the dappled tom forced his eyes open wide. He blinked, wincing at the flames that still licked at his pelt and burned through his insides. The feeling that something was wrong with his whole body made him feel sick and set his stomach churning painfully.

He realized that Heatherpaw was laying down beside him. He twisted his head, barely feeling the pain that shot down his shoulder and spine. It had become too familiar to cause him much pain anymore.

As he faced her, Heatherpaw smiled a little. "Hey," she mewed, her voice kind and worried. "How are you feeling?"

Pineblaze didn't know how to describe the pain that was flooding him every second. "Awful," Pineblaze rasped, his voice weak. "Like I'm being burned alive." He shifted against her and coughed once.

Heatherpaw frowned, licking his head. "Rosefur says you still have a fever and an infection, but the infection seems to be lessening slowly. Honestly, she was amazed you were still… alive… by now." She looked up at the sky, which was still dark, but lightening the tiniest bit on the horizon. "It's going to be dawn soon. It was a nighttime a few hours ago, when Spottedstar gave you your warrior name."

Pineblaze felt the anger he had felt when he had been named a warrior. "I don't… want it," he got out painfully. Heatherpaw looked at him with confused amber eyes, and Pineblaze meowed meekly, "Warrior name. I don't want… it." His breath was halting and short and it was hard for him to speak, but he continued anyway. "It just goes to show… that everyone… th-thinks I'm going to die." He coughed, and his chest tightened. He could feel a coughing fit coming on, and dreaded it.

Heatherpaw meowed softly, "I don't think you're gonna die. I know you're going to survive; you're stronger than any cat I know, Pineblaze." At the word _stronger, _Pineblaze suppressed a shiver. He wasn't really sure what had happened during that strange dream-world, where those shadowy cats, presumably StarClan, had spoken to him. That dream had the same feeling as when Pineblaze had reared up on his back legs and delivered a crushing blow to Brackenpaw back near the holly thicket and the river: completely surreal and far-away, like he was some other cat watching from a distance.

Suddenly, a hoarse cough erupted from his mouth, and his breathing became shallower. Heatherpaw's eyes had a panicked look. "This is going to hurt, but I'm going to help you sit up. Maybe you'll stop coughing," she suggested.

Pineblaze nodded weakly, coughing once more. Heatherpaw moved away, pushed her muzzle under his side, and gently pushed him upright. He let out a quiet wail of agony as his cobweb-bound shoulder was moved, and Heatherpaw sat up beside him. He collapsed against her warm side, panting. It had caused him a lot of pain, but he was sitting up rather than laying down… it was progress, at least.

Once his breathing eased and became almost normal, Heatherpaw meowed hesitantly, "Do you think you can sit up by yourself just for a few moments while I go fetch Rosefur?" Pineblaze doubted it, but he nodded anyway.

Heatherpaw slowly and carefully eased herself away from him, and it took all of Pineblaze's strength to keep from slumping onto the ground. He gritted his teeth and groaned, "Go."

Heatherpaw darted away through the ferns, and Pineblaze took a couple of deep breaths, trying to distract himself from the overwhelming pangs of pain and fire that struck him repeatedly. It felt good to get full breaths for once; ever since… _it _had happened, he hadn't been able to get a good breath in without his chest tightening and a cough coming out.

A few moments later, Heatherpaw came bounding back through the ferns with Rosefur at her heels, and Pineblaze flinched away at their sudden movement. Heatherpaw's eyes softened, and she quickly pressed against his side. He relaxed against her gratefully as Rosefur began circling him, murmuring to herself.

The medicine cat stopped just in front of Pineblaze. "Great StarClan, this is a huge improvement from only a few hours ago," she meowed in a disbelieving voice. "Pineblaze, you may still be feeling some discomfort from the infection and fever, but it's almost gone. Most of your smaller cuts are healing well. StarClan must be looking after you!"

_You have no idea, _Pineblaze thought, as the medicine cat began chewing up some herbs nearby.

Pineblaze closed his eyes for a moment, wondering if he should inform Rosefur of the strange dream and tell her that he knew he wouldn't die, because StarClan was protecting him. Eventually, he decided that he shouldn't. He himself didn't know what all of it meant yet; he wasn't going to tell another cat until he was ready and completely understood what the point of everything was.

Rosefur was suddenly at his side again, peering into his green eyes. "Pineblaze," she meowed gently, "I don't have to change the dressing on your shoulder just yet; I'll do that tomorrow. However, I need to put some herbs and then more cobwebs on the gashes in your stomach."

Pineblaze steeled himself; he knew that Rosefur's explanation simply meant more pain for him. He nodded, and Rosefur ducked down beneath him, prodding gently at his belly with a paw and squeezing herb juices onto the deep gashes. The herbs stung badly, and her prodding hurt even worse, but suddenly it wasn't the pain that scared him.

It was the fact that Rosefur had moved out of his line of vision, crouched halfway beneath him, that scared him. Once again, his mind worked without any logic; his first response was to be terrified, terrified that the cat he could no longer see was going to hurt him.

_Stop, stop, stop, stop, _Pineblaze chanted silently in his head, pure panic flowing through him. He knew that fear scent must be coming off of his pelt in waves. It wasn't until the thought _stop _grew louder in his own ears that he realized he had been pleading the word out loud.

Rosefur slowly moved out from underneath him, looking confused. "What was it? The pain?" she asked.

Pineblaze felt his fur heat up. "It was just… just… when you ducked down, and I couldn't see you, and then I thought that…" His terrified mew trailed off, and he buried his face in Heatherpaw's golden fur. "Like Brackenpaw," he whispered, his voice muffled by the fur. It was the first time he had uttered his torturer's name since it had happened.

When he nervously peeked out from Heatherpaw's fur, Rosefur was looking at him with pity in her pale green eyes. Heatherpaw nuzzled Pineblaze's cheek as Rosefur meowed calmly, "I promise, young one, I won't hurt you. Brackenpaw isn't here right now, he's far away, all the way on the other side of camp being guarded by two warriors. I'm not Brackenpaw," the medicine cat reassured him, moving closer. "I won't hurt you."

Pineblaze squeezed his eyes shut as Rosefur set back to work on his stomach gashes, and Heatherpaw licked his ear gently, soothingly.

As pain ripped through his belly, and he tensed with agony, Pineblaze wondered.

_If I'm scared of a cat that evens ducks down next to me, what else am I scared of? _

_And will I always be like this?_

* * *

><p>A few hours had passed. It was now sunhigh, and despite his pain, Pineblaze was itching with restlessness. The flames of infection were almost gone, replaced by a much duller burning that Pineblaze barely noticed beneath all of the pain coming from the wounds all over his body. He had assured Rosefur that he felt a little better, and he was pretty sure the infection was gone, but Rosefur had seemed cautious.<p>

"Let's just wait a little longer," she had meowed gently but with a firmer undertone. "To make sure the infection is really gone. We have to take this one pawstep at a time, Pineblaze."

Now, Pineblaze sighed and gazed down at his paws. His broken left forepaw was in a splint; a short stick was plastered onto his paw by a thick layer of cobwebs to make sure his paw healed straight. He could feel the heavy weight of cobwebs piled and swathed across his left shoulder. The gashes on his stomach were also covered in cobwebs, and most of his other cuts were, too. He felt like a giant, sticky spider web.

He plucked at the grass with his good right paw. Heatherpaw meowed from where she was smoothing the fur on the back of his neck. "Bored?" she asked quizzically.

Pineblaze shrugged, then flinched at the agony that flashed through his shoulder. _I should remember that shrugging is a big _no_, _the tom thought. "Yeah," he meowed. His voice was still hoarse from all the coughing, but it sounded a little stronger.

Heatherpaw gave up on his tufty fur and laid down on the ground beside him, rolling onto her back and letting the pale sunlight warm her belly. "I wish Rosefur would let you move a little more," she grumbled. "I know she's worried about your wounds opening up more, but you want to move, don't you?" She looked up at him with expectant amber eyes.

Pineblaze nodded. "It would hurt, but I feel so fidgety… I wish I could get up and run around, but I don't think that's gonna happen any time soon." He sighed.

About an hour ago, Pineblaze had managed to down a couple licks of water and half of a scrawny mouse. The young tom thought it wasn't much, but Rosefur had been overjoyed. "It shows you're getting stronger every minute!" she had meowed, her voice sounding more hopeful than Pineblaze had ever heard it. At the moment, the medicine cat was in her actual den, helping Tumblepaw treat the greencough and whitecough patients.

Heatherpaw had stayed with Pineblaze the whole time, and he was grateful for that. She was the only cat that he felt completely comfortable around, the only cat that he genuinely believed wouldn't do anything to harm him. She had chattered like a starling ever since he had finally eaten and drank something, and Pineblaze could tell she was happy he was improving so rapidly.

The golden apprentice had informed him that the previous night, just after Spottedstar had given him his warrior name, a strange cat had come to camp. The stranger was a tom with brindle black fur and, Heatherpaw noted, "blue eyes that you could recognize anywhere." This tom, who had been escorted in by the moonhigh patrol, had told Spottedstar and Nightclaw that his name was Rone, and he was a rogue that had joined StoneClan temporarily with some friends.

This Rone had then said something shocking that he had overheard Eagleclaw and a couple other cats talking about: that Eagleclaw was planning on using fake prey remains covered in each Clan's scents to use as "proof" at the coming Gathering, create tension among all the Clans, sit by and watch while three Clans battled it out, and when each Clan was weakest, StoneClan would drive everyone out.

Spottedstar, at first, had been wary of the news this stranger had brought. However, the leader had figured that a rogue would have nothing to gain from lying to the Clan. Then, Heatherpaw had told Pineblaze, Rone and Spottedstar went to talk in the leader's den because Rone had something important to tell that only Spottedstar could hear. But after emerging from the den, Spottedstar hadn't told the Clan what Rone had told him in private.

Then Rone had left, informing LeafClan that he was going to BreezeClan and StreamClan next to warn them.

A chilly breeze snapped Pineblaze back to the present. While Heatherpaw groomed her own fur nearby, he thought of something he had been meaning to ask but didn't really want to know the answer to. Summoning up his courage, Pineblaze asked quietly, "What happened to Brackenpaw?"

Heatherpaw froze midlick and turned to stare at Pineblaze with an uncertain gaze. She padded toward him and pressed against him. "Are you sure you want to know?" she murmured; obviously she smelled his fear-scent.

He hesitated, then nodded. Pineblaze knew he wouldn't be able to hide from his torturer forever, so he should at least know what had happened to him.

"Well," Heatherpaw began, leaning her head on his as a soothing gesture, "after Badgerpelt, Spottedstar, and the rest of the patrol brought you back here, Brackenpaw was brought before the Clan. Spottedstar was angry; you know how nice he usually is, of course, and so he seemed like a completely different cat. Nobody had ever seen him so mad before." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Spottedstar told everyone to separate into groups: those that wanted Brackenpaw to be exiled, those that wanted him to be punished in some way, or those that wanted to hear him out. Of course, Driftpaw and Thrushfeather wanted to hear him out; they're his family."

When Pineblaze nodded, gulping, Heatherpaw continued. "Most cats wanted him to be punished in some way, not exiled. They thought exile was too harsh. But some cats, like Badgerpelt, Silverwind, your mother, Finchpaw, a couple others, and, um… me…" Heatherpaw looked slightly embarrassed. "We all wanted to exile him. We were all so angry, and…" She hesitated, looking at Pineblaze to make sure he was okay, before meowing, "We all didn't know how Brackenpaw could torture a cat in cold blood, leave him for dead, and then get away with it."

Pineblaze shuddered, and he winced once more in pain. _Tortured._ _Left for dead. _The words echoed in his head.

Heatherpaw licked his ear gently, before meowing, "Spottedstar tried to get things organized, so it could be properly decided what could be done with Brackenpaw, but Silverwind and Badgerpelt were so mad that they lunged at Brackenpaw and were about to claw his pelt off." Pineblaze felt touched by their loyalty to him, but he rolled his eyes at his mentor's and Silverwind's foolishness.

"Then," Heatherpaw said, "Spottedstar called off the meeting and had Brackenpaw put in the prisoner den in the other corner of camp. He has two warriors guard it constantly. Spottedstar wants to wait until tensions die down, and… until… you healed more, so that you could have a say in what _you _want to happen to Brackenpaw." The golden she-cat glanced at Pineblaze nervously, drawing away.

"What _do _you want to happen to him?" she asked hesitantly.

Pineblaze blinked, and a whirl of different emotions swirled through him: terror, panic, fear, confusion, but also anger all mixed together. He remembered Ashleaf telling him about possibly forgiving Brackenpaw, and telling the Clan that the dark apprentice should stay. But could Pineblaze really find it in his heart to do that, after what Brackenpaw had done…? Finally, Pineblaze got out, "I'm not really sure yet."

Heatherpaw nodded. "That's what I thought. I mean, if that had happened to me, if I had been tor-" She stopped herself, eyes flashing anxiously, and then meowed, "If something like that had happened to me, I wouldn't be sure either." Her amber eyes darkened with concern. "Pineblaze, we can talk about it if you want. You're going to have to tell someone eventually; you're going to need to let out all your feelings, about what he did to you."

Pineblaze immediately shook his head. If there was one thing he knew, it was that he was _positive _he was not ready to speak of what Brackenpaw had done to him. He had issues just _thinking_ about it; how could he put it all into words?

"No," he whispered, feeling slightly humiliated that he was too scared to talk about it. "No, not now. Someday, maybe. Just… definitely not now."

Heatherpaw smiled at him a little. "That's okay," she murmured kindly. "I understand; when you're ready, though, just remember that I'm here." The way the pretty she-cat was staring at him made Pineblaze uncomfortable, and he looked away.

"So, um, your warrior ceremony is going to be soon, right?" he asked hastily, hoping to change the subject. He knew the golden she-cat had almost completed her six moons of training.

Heatherpaw nodded, her eyes brightening. "Yep," she meowed proudly, lifting her chin. "Probably in a few days!" She shivered in anticipation, amber eyes glittering like gems. "I can't wait! I wonder what my warrior name will be?" She frowned, as if thinking hard.

Pineblaze rolled his eyes. "Heatherpaw, you do realize that you won't figure out your warrior name until you actually _get it?_"

"Well," she meowed in mock petulance, "it's still fun to think about." Heatherpaw tossed her head and sniffed, but then a smile broke across her face and she burst out laughing. "I'm so bad at pretending!" she giggled.

"Maybe Spottedstar will name you Heatherfeather, because your head seems to be full of them!" Pineblaze teased.

Heatherpaw laughed some more, then lapped at her chest and sighed. "It's so _boring _in this stupid corner_,_" she grumbled.

"You can leave," Pineblaze suggested. "I'm not a complete invalid, you know. I'll be fine if you're not here."

But Heatherpaw shook her head stubbornly. "No! Then you'll get all lonely!"

"Well," Pineblaze said quietly, "maybe you could help me walk a little?" He looked deep into her eyes with his imploring green gaze.

Heatherpaw gaped at him. "But you're not ready! And how are you gonna move with that giant cobwebby thing on your shoulder? And the splint on your paw!" She shook her head. "I'm going to have to agree with Rosefur on this. I know that it hurts you a lot even to shift a little bit. Walking would probably make you pass out!"

"No!" Pineblaze argued. "I can handle the pain. I'll be fine." He flicked his tail irritably.

But Heatherpaw wasn't relenting. "Absolutely not, Pineblaze."

"Honestly," Pineblaze demanded, "I don't see what the problem is. I think in the past few days, I've gone through every form of pain imaginable. _I'll be fine._" Pineblaze heaved himself up without realizing it, fur bristling. Sitting in the fern corner for so long had made him grumpy.

Heatherpaw stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open. "What?" Pineblaze asked, frowning.

"You're… you're _standing_," she spluttered disbelievingly.

Suddenly, the tom realized that he was standing. Pain shot down his spine and through his shoulder and broken paw, but it wasn't unbearable. He stumbled a little, but stayed balanced. Heatherpaw got up and pressed against him just in case he fell.

"Wow," he meowed, shocked. He turned and smiled weakly at Heatherpaw. "Didn't expect that myself."

The golden she-cat rolled her eyes. "Fine, as long as you're feeling up to it, I'll help you go to the edge of the ferns." Heatherpaw cast a _don't_ _argue with me _look at Pineblaze. "But we will walk _slowly, _and _carefully._"

Pineblaze nodded slighty; if he moved his head too rapidly it would shift his neck and in turn his shoulder. Heatherpaw slowly took one step forward, and Pineblaze moved his right paw forward. Very slowly, with Pineblaze leaning on the golden apprentice, they brushed through the ferns. The tom's shoulder was screaming in pain because he was using it to hold up his broken left forepaw off the ground.

Finally, after what had seemed like ages, the two made it to the very edge of the ferns. Pineblaze's whole body ached and burned and hurt and throbbed painfully. He grunted slightly as he bumped to the ground in a sitting position beside Heatherpaw.

The dappled tom blinked a few times and surveyed the camp, his eyes gleaming with happiness. A breeze swept over his fur, and even though it was cold and the sunshine was weak and the ground was frosty, he felt elated for the first time in what had seemed like forever.

He looked all around camp, eyes wide as he took in the hustle and bustle of the Clan. It was a good thing they were all distracted; he didn't want cats gaping at him and the wounds that he knew riddled his pelt.

Nightclaw, the deputy, laid at the base of Crookedtree beside Badgerpelt. The two cats were sharing tongues, their tails entwined. Pineblaze purred at the sight of his mentor so happy and peaceful. Hazelberry and her apprentice, Dustpaw, were practicing the hunting crouch and stalking. As Pineblaze watched Dustpaw walk forward lightly in a perfectly balanced crouch, he remembered that Dustpaw, Cloudpaw, and Heatherpaw had all been made apprentices at the same time. Which meant they would be made warriors together.

_Dustpaw must be practicing for his final assessment, _Pineblaze mused; he cast a swift glance at Heatherpaw. …_She should be practicing, too, not sitting around doing nothing with me._

"Heatherpaw," he meowed, "you really should be practicing battle moves with Darkfrost or something. I don't want you to fail your final assessment just because you're hanging around with me!"

The golden-ginger she-cat shook out her fur and snorted. "Really, Pineblaze. Don't worry; I'll do fine on my assessment. Besides, Darkfrost is busy with his kits a lot. He won't miss me." Ironically, at that moment, Heatherpaw's mentor trotted into the nursery, carrying a small shrew. Loud squeaks were heard from inside the nursery, and suddenly three kits tumbled outside the nursery, followed by Brightdawn, the former StoneClan queen.

"Don't go beyond the clearing!" the ginger and white she-cat called anxiously to her kits. She sat down just outside the nursery, tracking her kits' movements with keen eyes.

Pineblaze studied the three kits, smiling as he watched them bat a moss ball back and forth. One was a little she-kit, with thick black fur streaked with cream and gray. A slightly undersized tom with bright ginger fur and a noticeable white patch on his forehead that ran down his face lunged on the moss ball, tearing at it with little claws. The last kit, a brown tom with different colored speckles, tackled his brother to the ground. The three kits tumbled about, squeaking.

Suddenly, the she-kit accidentally sent the moss ball flying. It landed right at Pineblaze's feet and, purring, he used his right forepaw to swat it back to the kits. When he did so, Brightdawn must have realized that he was there, for she looked over at him.

When the queen's gaze rested upon him, her eyes widened, no doubt at the sight of his wounds. Then, she smiled kindly at Pineblaze and rose to her paws. Pineblaze instinctively flinched away as she approached, but he relaxed as she sat a safe distance away from him. Heatherpaw stroked her tail soothingly along his back.

"How are you?" she purred, blue eyes gleaming. "I see you're up and about."

Pineblaze smiled shyly at the former StoneClan she-cat. "I'm okay, thanks," he meowed quietly, feeling very self-conscious, what with cobwebs all over his body. "How are you getting on here in LeafClan?"

The queen shrugged. "Alright, I suppose. Some cats still look at me and my kits funny, but most of you guys are really nice." Suddenly, a loud wail erupted from the ginger kit, and Brightdawn nodded a quick good-bye as she hurried away to help her kit. "Hope you feel better!" she called with a wave of her tail.

Pineblaze smiled once more. It seemed that nothing could dampen his good mood. But that was when it happened.

That was when he looked across camp and saw the den that Rushfoot and Appleflower were guarding.

And that was when he saw the icy-blue eyes staring at him from inside.

And that was when the memories came pouring back. _The tearing, the slashing, the twisting and breaking and the shattering of broken bones and the snarls and growls but even worse the eyes, oh the eyes…_

Pineblaze began trembling uncontrollably and he almost tipped over backwards. He squeezed his eyes shut tight and pushed himself against Heatherpaw. "Can we go back?" he whispered.

Heatherpaw looked down at him worriedly. "What is it?"

He shook his head. "Please," he choked out. "Please, I want to go back."

The she-cat nodded, brow furrowed in concern, and she helped him get to his feet. The two slowly made their way back to the corner, and Pineblaze lowered himself gratefully onto the ferns.

He was still shaking. Heatherpaw curled up next to him. "It's okay," she murmured in his ear comfortingly. "You'll be fine. Nobody will hurt you.

"I won't let them."

And so Pineblaze fell asleep, pressed against Heatherpaw, feeling safer beside her than he could have ever felt beside any other cat in the whole entire world.

**Phew! That was uberrr longgg. **

**Here is the current status of Cloverfrost's and Honeyflower's kits:**

**Cloverfrost's kits- Smokykit (black and white tom with gray-tipped fur, amber eyes), Cinderkit (gray she-cat with white muzzle and one black paw, bright blue eyes), Stormkit (flecked dark gray tom with spiky fur, amber eyes)**

**(And yes, I kind of trashed my idea for Cedarkit because Cloverfrost and Spottedstar are both gray, how could they have a golden kit? So Cedarkit became Cinderkit! Don't worry, I have other plans for Cedarkit… *grins evilly*)**

**Honeyflower's kits- Willowkit (pale gray she-cat, yellow eyes), Gorsekit (ginger tabby tom, amber eyes), Unnamed kit (pale ginger tabby tom with white underbelly, dark amber eyes), Unnamed kit (mottled sandy-gray tom, yellow eyes)**

**So…** **Cloverfrost's kits are all named, I only need help with Honeyflower's last two now! Help! I'm awful with names!**

**Also, suggestions for Heatherpaw's, Dustpaw's, and Cloudpaw's warrior names would be greatly appreciated!**

**Please, review! CC (constructive criticism) is my best friend…**

**And, oh Heatherpaw… you're so kind and caring. I love you! *huggles Heatherpaw plushie***

**Again, review! AND GET A HEATHERPAW PLUSHIE! Go to town, dahlings….**


	13. Chapter 12: Heatherpaw

Heatherpaw shivered in the cold, eyes bright and fur ruffled in anticipation. Her Clanmates shuffled around her, as if they, too, were feeling restless. She, along with some other LeafClan cats, was waiting at the bottom of the hill where they would attend the Gathering. She looked at Spottedstar, who stood at the head of his Clan, and the speckled tom waved his tail, signaling them to move forward.

The Clan surged forward and raced up the hill, and Heatherpaw tried hard to keep her footing on the frosty, slippery grass. Finally, panting, they reached the top of the hill.

The LeafClanners silently padded toward the huge tree in the center of the clearing at the top of the hill; they were the first Clan to arrive. Heatherpaw stood for a moment, marveling at how calm and peaceful the large clearing looked with only one Clan in it. The normally green grass was sparkling with frost, and the air seemed clear and fresh as it blew gently across her fur.

Heatherpaw shook herself out of her thoughts, and padded forward to her Clanmates, who were sitting and talking idly while they waited for the arrival of the other three Clans. She sat beside Finchpaw and Cloudpaw, who were talking about what training they had completed earlier that day. But Heatherpaw wasn't thinking about training.

She was thinking about Pineblaze. It was the day after she had helped him walk to the edge of the fern patch, and he had had the bad luck of glimpsing Brackenpaw deep within the prisoner den. Pineblaze had shook almost all night long, and Heatherpaw couldn't do anything to calm him. She had been unsure of leaving to go the Gathering, but Pineblaze had assured her earlier that he was okay and that she needed to get out of camp.

Badgerpelt was currently keeping Pineblaze company at camp while Heatherpaw was out. Heatherpaw had been happy when it turned out that Badgerpelt was one of the few cats that Pineblaze wasn't scared of and didn't flinch away from. At sunhigh that morning, Pineblaze's mentor had nervously entered the fern patch, and Pineblaze had been elated to see him. The brown tom hadn't been scared at all, and Heatherpaw and Rosefur had been overjoyed.

Now, Heatherpaw suppressed a sigh. She was beginning to regret leaving. But she knew that Pineblaze would be okay with his mentor. Nothing had happened since then about Brackenpaw's punishment; it seemed that the whole Clan was slowly beginning to hope that Pineblaze would definitely survive and that he would be able to tell the Clan what he wanted to happen to his torturer. As long as his injuries didn't get infected again, Rosefur had told Heatherpaw in private once, Pineblaze would survive. He wouldn't make a full recovery, of course; his injuries were far too extensive to ever heal properly, but Rosefur hoped that with daily stretches, Pineblaze would have some range of mobility.

Heatherpaw's heart clenched when she imagined Pineblaze, who had been so energetic and fast and darting every which way only mere days ago, limping slowly around camp. She knew it would break the tom's heart if he wouldn't be able to climb trees or hunt ever again. But resolve hardened within her pity for him; she would help him through anything.

Suddenly, StreamClan and BreezeClan scents found their way into Heatherpaw's nostrils, and she turned to see StreamClan approaching from one side and BreezeClan from the other. Tension crackled between StreamClan and LeafClan; the border skirmishes over Willowcreek had made both Clans curt and edgy toward each other. BreezeClan, however, seemed much more sociable as they weren't involved in any feuds with any other Clans at the moment. BreezeClanners wove among the LeafClan cats, talking cheerily.

Suddenly, a tail tapped Heatherpaw on the shoulder. The golden she-cat spun around to see two BreezeClan apprentices smiling at her. "Gladepaw, Mosspaw," she purred in acknowledgement to the blue-gray tom and pale brown she-cat. She had met them multiple times at other Gatherings. "How are you two? How's the prey running in BreezeClan?"

Gladepaw rolled his eyes. "Those stupid rabbits seem to run even faster when it's cold. I bet it's the wind; it just blows them right across the moors!" He chuckled, bright green eyes glimmering.

Mosspaw tipped her head. "I'm a warrior now!" she announced excitedly. "My name is Moss_feather_ now!"

"Congratulations," Heatherpaw meowed kindly, dipping her head to the newly named warrior. "I'm going to be a warrior soon; tomorrow or the day after, I think."

Gladepaw sighed. "I'm not gonna have my final assessment for another two moons." Mossfeather nudged her downcast friend heartily.

"Don't worry," the she-cat meowed. "Two moons will pass super fast if you work your paws off!"

Suddenly, StoneClan appeared, running up the slope with Eagleclaw at the head. For the last couple Gatherings, Eagleclaw had led the StoneClan cats and spoke for his Clan. From what Heatherpaw had heard from the former StoneClanners that had joined LeafClan, she wasn't surprised that Duststar didn't come; he would probably say something really stupid and make StoneClan look weak and vulnerable in front of all the other Clans.

"He looks like somebody just dropped mouse droppings on his head," Gladepaw muttered, staring at the large deputy as he stalked over with his Clanmates. It was true, Heatherpaw realized. His yellow eyes were narrowed angrily and his fur was fluffed up, bristling slightly.

"I think," Mossfeather whispered, eyes wide, "he _always _looks like that."

As the StoneClanners began to mingle with the other cats, Eagleclaw leaped up onto a branch of the huge tree in the center of the clearing. It was called Tall Oak because of its great height, and it was where the leaders addressed the Clans at Gatherings.

Spottedstar soon jumped up, too, and was closely followed by Robinstar, leader of BreezeClan, and Meadowstar, the pretty she-cat that led StreamClan. Once all the leaders were settled on their own sturdy branches, Robinstar yowled authoritatively, "This Gathering has officially begun; all Clans are here!"

The chatting that had floated through the air quickly stopped and the clearing fell silent. Heatherpaw tensed in anticipation and wondered if any of the leaders were going to report that cat, Rone, that had told LeafClan and most likely the other Clans about Eagleclaw's plan to take over the forest. She hoped not; a fight would probably break out, and she didn't want Rone to get in trouble. He had only been trying to help the other Clans, which, in Heatherpaw's mind, was the right thing to do.

Robinstar, as the eldest leader, stepped forward to speak first. "Prey is not as plentiful as it has been during most other newleaf seasons," he meowed. "The snows have made the moors a very cold place to be, but BreezeClan is thriving well."

Heatherpaw glanced around at Gladepaw, Mossfeather, and some other BreezeClan warriors nearby. Even though BreezeClanners were skinny in general, they did look pretty well-fed. She faced the Tall Oak once more as Robinstar continued.

"Patchtail's kits have moved to the apprentice den and taken the names Beetlepaw and Weedpaw," Robinstar said. There was loud cheering, and Heatherpaw saw two young apprentices sitting not far away from her, beaming at the attention they were receiving. "And," Robinstar yowled, "Mossfeather has become a warrior!" There was even more cheering, and Mossfeather ducked her head shyly beside Heatherpaw.

Next, Meadowstar stepped forward on her branch and tipped her muzzle up. "Two of our warriors have _finally _returned to their duties," she sniffed, "which they could not take part in for a whole quarter moon due to wounds inflicted upon them by LeafClan cats when they unjustly attacked a StreamClan border patrol." The cocky she-cat's deep amber eyes glinted at Spottedstar, but the gray tom merely flicked his tail. Heatherpaw felt proud that he was able to keep his calm.

Meadowstar looked slightly flustered, as if she had expected Spottedstar to explode and be angry, but the arrogance quickly returned to her face. "The cold weather is not affecting StreamClan at all," she purred silkily. "All of our streams are covered in thin ice that is easy to break and the water is full of fish to eat. We also have two new warriors, Wetmist and Marshwhisker, who unfortunately could not be here tonight."

There was quiet cheering for a few moments even though the two newly named warriors had not attended. "That is all," Meadowstar finished, dipping her head.

Heatherpaw felt immensely relieved that so far that no one had mentioned Rone or Eagleclaw's evil plans. Then, the StoneClan deputy himself began to speak.

"Duststar could not attend today, for he was feeling rather ill with a bellyache and gives his sincere apology for not being able to come," the gray tabby tom boomed. Heatherpaw stifled a snort at the obvious lie.

_Yeah, right, _she thought disbelievingly. _More like ill with craziness._

"StoneClan also has a few new warriors who could not, sadly, come today," Eagleclaw continued in a voice ringing with confidence. "Rainpaw, Thunderpaw, and Troutpaw have become Raindrop, Thundercloud, and Troutfish." The deputy smirked visibly as the Clans quietly chanted the strange names. The names felt odd coming off of Heatherpaw's tongue as she called out along with everyone else.

"Nothing else very notable has happened for StoneClan for the past moon," the deputy finished. Heatherpaw's eyes widened; obviously, things had happened. Lakepaw, Tinypaw and the others had all escaped and come to LeafClan. And Rone and his groups of rogues had also joined StoneClan.

Heatherpaw guessed that Eagleclaw didn't want to admit any of that to the other Clans.

Spottedstar lifted his chin, and Heatherpaw admired her leader for looking so regal and proud. "Meadowstar," the speckled tom meowed with icy cold politeness, "if I recall correctly, your so-called _border patrol _was only attacked by my cats after they crossed Willowcreek, which is _LeafClan _land, and tried to cross back over with fresh-kill. If your Clan is so well-fed, then I would definitely appreciate it if you stopped invading LeafClan territory." Spottedstar's eyes were grim.

Meadowstar hissed and her eyes narrowed to dark slits, but she managed to contain her anger. Spottedstar faced the Clans gathered below and meowed, "Hunting has been rather hard, but LeafClan is faring well."

Heatherpaw tried not to wince at the small lie. Spottedstar had not brought some of the cats whose ribs had begun to show to make sure that LeafClan looked strong at the Gathering, and he also hadn't brought the former StoneClan cats lest Eagleclaw demand that they return to StoneClan.

"One of our queens kitted and gave birth to three healthy kits," Spottedstar purred, blue eyes gleaming. "Blazekit, Brindlekit, and Owlkit." Heatherpaw smiled as she thought of Brightdawn's adorable little sons and daughter; thank StarClan Spottedstar hadn't mentioned the queen by name.

"Finchpaw and Tumblepaw," Spottedstar continued, "are LeafClan's newest apprentices. Tumblepaw is training under Rosefur to become a medicine cat."

Finchpaw puffed out her chest as cats called her name, but Tumblepaw, who was sitting beside Rosefur on the Tall Oak's roots with the other medicine cats, looked extremely embarrassed. It was widely known in the Clan that Tumblepaw was very quiet and modest.

"I have one last thing to report," the LeafClan leader meowed, and his face grew sad. Heatherpaw steeled herself for what was coming next.

Earlier that day, just after sunhigh and Badgerpelt's visit, Spottedstar had cautiously entered the fern patch to ask Pineblaze if he could tell the other Clans what had happened to him.

Pineblaze had simply closed his eyes, fear scent beginning to fill the air. "It is news, and everyone will find out eventually, so it would be better to get it over with and explain now," Spottedstar had pointed out. "And it could be a warning to other Clans that sometimes, cats aren't always who they make themselves to be," he had added more gently. Finally, Pineblaze had agreed, though he still seemed wary, and the moment Spottedstar had left, Pineblaze had buried his face in Heatherpaw's fur, trembling.

Heatherpaw knew that by Spottedstar announcing Pineblaze's incident, everything would become official. And Pineblaze knew that. It would become official that he, a young cat, had been tortured almost to death. And reality had suddenly struck Pineblaze hard; Heatherpaw knew that he had never really thought about being disabled for the rest of his life.

The clearing grew very silent at the sadness on Spottedstar's face. "One of our young cats, Pinepaw, recently went through…" the leader struggled for a word, "… a rather terrible event. Nobody here knows him, for he had only been training for a quarter moon and hasn't yet attended a Gathering. But if you did know him, you would know that no cat like Pinepaw deserved such a thing."

Spottedstar closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "A few days ago, Pinepaw went missing. We found him a day later in a holly thicket, covered from head to tail in cuts and blood. What's even worse is that it was no accident. It wasn't a fox attack, or a badger mauling. Pinepaw was… tortured. By a Clanmate."

A deep hush settled over the crowd, and Heatherpaw squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip, trying not to shake as Spottedstar recounted the events. "While Rosefur stayed with Pinepaw to start treating him, my patrol went back to camp. We made an announcement to the Clan, and then tried to find the cat that Pinepaw had told us had tortured him. Many of you… may know Brackenpaw."

A few cats nodded. "Well," Spottedstar said, a slight snarl edging his voice, "Brackenpaw was Pinepaw's torturer. It is still not yet known why Brackenpaw did so. After looking around a bit, we soon realized Brackenpaw was nowhere in camp, and so I took a patrol to see if he had found out where Pinepaw was. And he had." Spottedstar looked down at his paws. "By the time we made it to the holly thicket, Rosefur had been knocked out and Brackenpaw was leaning over Pinepaw, ready to kill him. My patrol made it just in time to save Pinepaw."

Heatherpaw was actually _happy _about that lie. Pineblaze had told her about the strange thing that had happened by the thicket, when he had actually reared up on his back paws and swatted Brackenpaw away. If the other Clans knew about the mysterious occurrence, they would be a little too curious. Spottedstar had just decided it best to say that the patrol had gotten to Brackenpaw before he could try to strike. Heatherpaw knew that there would be some not-so-good rumors if the LeafClan leader told of how Pineblaze, injured and half-dead, had managed to fend off Brackenpaw.

"Only a couple nights ago, it was highly unlikely that Pinepaw would survive," Spottedstar meowed bluntly. "By the time we got him back to camp, he had a chill and an infection. His shoulder is completely shattered, because after Brackenpaw attacked Pinepaw brutally and Pinepaw was helpless and unable to fight back, Brackenpaw put a fox trap on his shoulder."

There was a collective gasp from the other Clans, and Spottedstar choked out, "Along with all of his other wounds, it didn't seem possible that Pinepaw would live. Therefore, two nights ago, I gave him the warrior name Pineblaze so that if he died, he would join StarClan as a warrior. However, in the couple days since then, he has made amazing progress in his healing. Now, it is likely that he will survive. Unfortunately, because of Brackenpaw, Pineblaze will never have full range of mobility and will never reach a full recovery because of all of his injuries." Spottedstar sighed. "Let this be a lesson that not all cats are who they say they are."

Everyone was silent as they took in the story that Spottedstar had just told. "And," Spottedstar spoke again suddenly, "I have spoken with my senior warriors and deputy and decided that a warrior ceremony for a certain apprentice should be performed right here, right now, at this Gathering, for this cat has shown an amazing capacity for compassion and loyalty to Pineblaze in the days since his torture. This cat has barely left his side and been with him every step of the way so far. This cat deserves to be honored before the other Clans."

The leader's bright blue eyes rested upon Heatherpaw, and he smiled at her. "Heatherpaw, please come forward."

Cloudpaw and Finchpaw smiled and gently nudged Heatherpaw, who was dizzy with shock. The golden she-cat walked forward slowly, toward the base of the Tall Oak. When she reached it, she looked up at Spottedstar, feeling dazed.

"Heatherpaw," the leader greeted her kindly. "You have phenomenal skills, but not just in hunting and fighting. You are also full of love and determination; you alone never gave up on Pineblaze. Not only that, but you have reached the end of your training. Now, it is time for you to become a warrior."

The speckled tom lifted his muzzle to the sky and yowled, "I, Spottedstar, leader of LeafClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn."

He settled his gaze on Heatherpaw once more. "Heatherpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Heatherpaw had finally recovered from the surprise. Now, she felt full of energy and excitement. She was probably the first cat to ever be made a warrior at a Gathering! "I do," she replied confidently, amber eyes gleaming.

Spottedstar smiled. "Then," he meowed, "by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Heatherpaw, from now on, you shall be known as Heatherflower." He nimbly leapt down from his perch in Tall Oak and touched his nose to her head. Then he stepped back and called out, "StarClan honors you for your caring nature and love. LeafClan now welcomes you as a full warrior."

As cheers erupted from all around, Heatherflower licked Spottedstar's shoulder respectfully. She was brimming with happiness, and her Clanmates gave her smiles and quiet congratulations as she moved back to join them.

She couldn't wait to tell Pineblaze when she got back!

* * *

><p>Heatherflower padded quietly through the forest beside her former mentor, Darkfrost. The other LeafClan cats were chattering amongst themselves, but she was content to just be quiet for the moment. Darkfrost had never really been much of a verbal cat, anyway. So the two were just enjoying each other's company, former mentor and apprentice. Heatherflower didn't need Darkfrost's words, though; she could almost feel the happiness and pride he felt for her.<p>

Heatherflower reflected back upon the Gathering. After she had received her warrior name, and a few more cats had cheered, there had been a few moments where cats had mingled and shared tongues. No one had mentioned Rone or Eageclaw's plan to stir up tension at the Gathering, which had thankfully not been carried out. Heatherflower guessed that none of the leaders wanted to risk making the Clans tense anyway by announcing that Rone had told them of Eagleclaw's plans.

It had been too cold to share tongues for long, though, so then the Clans had parted ways.

Now, LeafClan was walking along in the chilly night. Heatherflower fluffed up her fur, shivering. Would this cold weather ever end? She looked up at the sky, silently asking StarClan to fix everything. She suppressed a sigh; she knew that even StarClan did not have power over all things. But it would be wonderful if they did… Heatherflower wished so much that StarClan could fix the weather, make peace between all the Clans, fix Pineblaze…

At the thought of Pineblaze, Heatherflower winced. She had realized while walking back that she wouldn't be able to talk to him that night; she would have to sit vigil. Hopefully, Badgerpelt would spend time with him. Maybe she would just stop by and see him quickly when she entered camp, and then sit vigil.

A few minutes later, the LeafClan cats filed into camp. Many of the cats had already made their way into their dens for the night by the time Heatherflower entered. As she padded toward the center of the clearing, Spottedstar trotted up beside her.

"Hello," he purred, flicking his tail against her flank. "You have to sit vigil, of course. Although," he said, eyes twinkling, "I'm assuming you'll want to visit Pineblaze first?"

Heatherflower felt her pelt burning with embarrassment. Most of the Clan pretty much knew, by now, of her feelings for Pineblaze. She knew that she had made it pretty obvious by spending so much time with the injured tom.

"Yes, Spottedstar," she replied, ducking her head slightly and grinning sheepishly. "I was just going to stop by, and then I'll come right back and sit vigil."

Spottedstar nodded and padded away, smiling. "Make it quick," he meowed over his shoulder.

The moment he disappeared into his den, Heatherflower darted over the fern clearing. She slowed her approach as she entered the leafy plants. She knew how much it scared Pineblaze when someone moved too fast around him.

She cautiously poked her head into the part of the clearing that had been flattened for Pineblaze. Her heart immediately sank at what she saw.

Rosefur was crouched in front of Pineblaze, trying to coax him to eat some chew up herbs that she pushed toward him. But it looked like the tom didn't even know that the medicine cat was there. His eyes were half-closed and glazed with what looked like pain, exhaustion, and… a blankness, a kind of numb feeling that flooded off of him in waves. Heatherflower scented fear, too. Pineblaze was shaking harder than she had ever witnessed, and his dark, dappled pelt was now matted with dried blood. Badgerpelt sat nearby, eyes narrowed and tail flicking anxiously.

When he saw Heatherflower, Badgerpelt quickly walked over and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Pineblaze had a nightmare just after you all left for the Gathering," he said worriedly. "He was thrashing everywhere, and reopened his shoulder and stomach wounds. Now he's a bit feverish, and Rosefur that he's finally gone into shock from everything that happened to him. Rosefur said she's surprised that it hasn't happened before now, actually. But he's in a pretty bad state right now." Badgerpelt's amber eyes were glittering with anxiety and sadness, which Heatherflower could understand.

Pineblaze had been doing remarkably well, considering that he had walked to the edge of the ferns and back only a short time after he had been tortured. All of his progress had lifted Heatherflower's, Badgerpelt's, and even Rosefur's spirits. Now, this setback was worrying.

Heatherflower quickly whispered to Badgerpelt, "When he comes out of the shock, just tell him that I stopped by." The black-and-white tom nodded and then padded over to Pineblaze and Rosefur. Heatherflower backed out of the ferns and padded into the center of the clearing.

She sat down and shook herself. She would worry more about Pineblaze tomorrow; she let excitement flood through her, and pushed her anxiety back. She had just become a warrior! Now, she was actually sitting vigil for the moment she had been waiting for since she was a kit. She shivered once more, but this time from joy.

As the night wore on, though, her worries for Pineblaze slowly crept back into her mind, and she couldn't suppress them this time. As Heatherflower pondered over anything she could do, she wondered if there were any other cats that Pineblaze would like to see, any other cats that could possibly help to comfort him. The tom wasn't going to get any better with only the support of herself and Badgerpelt.

_Maybe Finchpaw, _Heatherflower mused. _She and Pineblaze seemed friendly. Thistlestripe should visit again, too…_

As she thought about Thistlestripe, Heatherflower frowned. Pineblaze's mother hadn't come to visit her son since the night of his warrior ceremony. Heatherflower had seen Thistlestripe just the morning. She had been sharing tongues with another elder outside their den with a blank expression on her face. Heatherflower suddenly realized that Thistlestripe probably didn't even know about Pineblaze's progress. She hadn't been to the fern clearing to see Pineblaze at all, most likely because everyone had truly believed that Pineblaze would die the night he became a warrior.

_She's probably scared to visit, _Heatherflower thought, her heart clenching in sympathy. _She's probably just waiting for news of Pinepaw's death. We've all been so caught up in how good Pineblaze is doing, we've neglected to tell Thistlestripe anything. She probably thinks that he'll be dead soon._

Heatherflower felt awful. Pineblaze's own mother didn't know that he wasn't going to die. She decided that she would tell the blind she-cat tomorrow about Pineblaze's progress. Although, his new development of nightmares worried Heatherflower… if he was scared all the time of his dreams, he probably would be scared of even more things, now.

Sighing, Heatherflower pushed all anxious thoughts to the back of her mind again. She now only had two goals in mind for the next day: she would talk to Thistlestripe about Pineblaze, and make the best of her first day as a warrior.


	14. Chapter 13

**Hi, guys! Yes, sorry, I know, I neglected this story for about a month. Probably longer. I am so, so sorry. I was busy and on vacation, and suffering from writer's block, which is the reason why this chapter isn't so good. Please don't unleash your wrath upon me! *runs and hides***

It had been two days. Two whole days since the Gathering, and Pineblaze's awful nightmare.

In the dream, Pineblaze had been wandering in a dark forest. His pawsteps had echoed loudly, hauntingly, and he could have sworn that every couple seconds a shadow would flit at the edge of his vision. But whenever he turned his head, there would be nothing there. Then, suddenly, cats darted from all directions. Without hesitation, they lunged at Pineblaze as one. There was no color to these cats; they were simply dark shapes, mere shadows, but their claws and teeth had felt as real as any Clan cat.

Pineblaze had lashed out vainly in all directions as the swarm of dark cats came upon him. He felt fur being ripped out in clumps from his flank, and his ear being bitten into. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't escape. A lithe shape slipped beneath him and clawed viciously at his belly, and Pineblaze howled in pain. The torture continued, and just when Pineblaze thought it wouldn't end, it did.

The figures backed away abruptly, and Pineblaze stood there, blood dripping down his sides. Then, in a flash, one single form broke away from the others and launched itself at him. Before Pineblaze could budge, the cat landed on Pineblaze's back and tore madly into his left shoulder. The tom shrieked wildly as sheer pain ripped through his body, and then his legs crumpled beneath him. Just before his muzzle thudded onto the ground and his eyes drooped closed, a pair of icy blue irises appeared before him.

_Brackenpaw, _Pineblaze had thought in horror.

Then, he had woken up, his whole body shaking and throbbing with pain. Badgerpelt had tried to soothe him while Rosefur re-dressed his wounds, but Pineblaze hadn't processed any of it. The nightmare had just kept repeating itself, over and over in Pineblaze's mind, until every detail of it had been embedded deep within his brain.

Now, he lay peacefully in the fern corner. Since that night, his fear had slowly ebbed away, and the nightmare had detached itself from his mind. He hadn't had the nightmare in the two days that had passed, and hope had started to flare within him once more.

Heatherflower suddenly slipped into the clearing, and Pineblaze didn't flinch at all. _That's a good step, _he thought to himself. Pineblaze had been very happy for his friend when she had relayed to him the news of her warrior ceremony at the Gathering.

The golden she-cat sat down in front of him and wrapped her tail neatly around her paws. She began washing her ears, eyes glittering. "How are you?" she meowed warmly, smiling.

Pineblaze smiled back and purred, "Fine. But it's only just past dawn. You didn't need to come see me yet!" He eyed her teasingly. "You're a warrior now. You might be needed for a patrol!"

Heatherflower rolled her eyes at him. "I went on _four _patrols yesterday, thank you very much," she replied, flicking her tail at his nose. "So I can spend most of today with you. I'm going hunting at dusk, so we have plenty of time! And don't give the "_you're a warrior_" talk to me. You're a warrior, too."

Pineblaze pushed himself up into a sitting position using his good front paw. He had discovered he could do that yesterday, and Rosefur was pleased that he could already sit up by himself.

"Well," Pineblaze pointed out, "I'm a warrior that's only six moons old, and I don't think I'll be going on any patrols soon." He nodded down at the splint on his left forepaw.

Heatherflower snorted. "Yes, that's true."

Pineblaze was now comfortable talking about his injuries openly. He had been joking about them a lot lately, which infuriated Rosefur. Heatherflower, on the other hand, just played along. She didn't avoid saying anything about Brackenpaw or Pineblaze's wounds or apprentice training now. Pineblaze had come to terms with everything, and he was fine with Heatherflower being open with him, too. But although he was making good progress, he knew that he wasn't yet ready to make a decision on Brackenpaw's punishment.

Just then, Rosefur pushed her way in with a bundle in her jaws. Pineblaze suppressed a sigh. This was his new routine now: the medicine cat would come just after dawn with more herbs and cobwebs. She would redress his most serious wounds, and put marigold on his more minor scratches to prevent infection. The last things she would do were fix the splint on his forepaw and then re-bind his shoulder. Then, later in the day, she would come again and do the whole thing over again.

As Rosefur replaced cobwebs and trickled the herb juices onto his wounds, Pineblaze ignored the pain, which he had become an expert at doing. He barely felt anything anymore, if he really tried. _Or, _Pineblaze thought, _I've just become so used to the pain that it just sits at the back of my mind, unnoticed._

He and Heatherflower chatted idly over nothing very important, such as Brightdawn's kits and how Nightclaw would have to step down from being deputy temporarily if she became pregnant with Badgerpelt's kits. At Heatherflower's comment about the latter, Rosefur purred.

"Badgerpelt and Nightclaw seem to be attached to each other," the she-cat meowed, gently patting cobwebs onto Pineblaze's flank. "I barely see one without the other nowadays. It shouldn't be long until Nightclaw moves into the nursery. And newleaf is a good season to have kits."

"Although," Heatherflower meowed worriedly, "if this weather keeps up, I don't think we'll have much of a newleaf. And the nursery is really full right now. I doubt Nightclaw could fit, now that Brightdawn and the other StoneClan queen, Dapplefire, have moved in."

Pineblaze meowed thoughtfully, "Dawnfrost is back on warrior duties now, though, because Tumblepaw and Finchpaw are apprentices now. Aren't some of the other kits close to six moons, too? The nursery will be emptying soon enough."

Rosefur was nodding. "Yes, Spottedstar's kits are probably having their apprentice ceremony soon. Just the other day, poor Cloverfrost was tripping over Cinderkit and Stormkit, saying that they were too big to fit in her nest anymore." She chuckled.

Heatherflower sucked in a breath. "Cloverfrost is Spottedstar's mate? Spottedstar has _kits_?"

Pineblaze laughed. "Even I knew that! Keep up on the Clan news, you feather-brain!"

Heatherflower glowered at him and licked at her chest fur. "What? I'm not always the best at paying attention."

Pineblaze couldn't help but laugh more. "Really? You're telling me that you didn't notice when Cloverfrost had her kits?" Usually the whole Clan would sit in the clearing and wait while a queen kitted; it was a big event for new lives to be brought into the world.

"Of course I did!" Heatherflower protested. "I just didn't know that she was Spottedstar's mate!"

Then Pineblaze and the golden she-cat got into an argument about who was a bigger mouse-brain.

As Rosefur leaned down beside Pineblaze to fix the splint, he saw her roll her eyes. "You two need to stop bickering all the time! It gets on my nerves!" The tip of her tail twitched as she slowly and carefully eased the splint off.

"What?" Pineblaze meowed innocently, green eyes wide. "It keeps me busy. I get bored back here." He winced as Rosefur put the splint back on.

The brown she-cat straightened up. "Well, everything is healing well with your paw. Now I need to redress your shoulder…" She moved around to Pineblaze's side so that she was at a better angle to reach the wound.

Suddenly, Pineblaze's stomach emitted a loud rumble.

Heatherflower whiskers twitched with amusement, and Pineblaze grinned sheepishly. "I'm guessing you could use some food," the she-cat meowed, amber eyes dancing. She darted away through the ferns, and returned moments later with a mouse and a sparrow clutched tightly in her jaws.

Heatherflower dropped the pieces of prey in front of him. "I'm hungry, too," she explained. "But you pick. What do you want?" She gestured to the two creatures on the ground.

Pineblaze wasn't in the mood to be spitting out feathers, so he eliminated the prospect of eating the sparrow. "I'll take the-"

He abruptly stopped speaking. Suddenly, he couldn't remember what the name of the other prey was. He knew that he didn't want the sparrow. But what was the other one? Confusion flowed over him.

He was _positive _that he knew what that small furry animal was. Then why couldn't he remember what it was called?

"Pineblaze?" Heatherflower was frowning. "What is it? Which one do you want?"

The tom just shook his head. He couldn't explain what was happening. He didn't _know_ what was happening. Rosefur had finished changing the cobwebs on his shoulder and was looking at him, her gaze puzzled. "Is everything okay?" she asked him.

Pineblaze sighed. "I don't want the sparrow. I know what the sparrow is. And I know what _that _is," he meowed, jerking his good paw at the other piece of fresh-kill. "I do, I'm sure I do. I just can't… I can't…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say. Frustration surged through him.

"You can't find it?" Rosefur asked, bending closer to him. "Is that it, Pineblaze? You can't find the word for it?"

He nodded. That seemed like the best way it could be explained. Understanding sparked in the medicine cat's eyes. "Pineblaze," she meowed, "what you're experiencing is most likely from hitting your head. It was probably from when you were in the river, and there were a lot of rocks that you bumped into. I've heard about cases like this, in other Clans where a cat had head trauma."

Pineblaze realized then that his head _did_ hurt. He just hadn't taken much notice of it, compared to the pain from all his other injuries. "But it'll go away, right?" Heatherflower spoke up, anxiety written across her face. "I mean, he'll be able to… find words again soon?"

Rosefur nodded and smiled. "Yes. It's nothing too serious. Although, if you practice naming things now, the symptoms will probably go away faster." The tabby she-cat shook out her fur and padded off through the ferns. "I'll be back to check on you later."

When Pineblaze drew his gaze back to Heatherflower, her eyes were bright with excitement. "I have the perfect idea!" she squealed, bounding away.

Pineblaze rolled his eyes. _Great StarClan, what does she have planned?_

While he waited, he pawed the creature that he couldn't identify closer to him. He narrowed his eyes, staring at it. But no matter how hard he tried, the name of it wouldn't come to him. Irritated, he pushed it away. He had lost his appetite.

There was a loud rustle, and then Heatherflower emerged back into the small clearing, Badgerpelt at her heels. Both cats were carrying multiple pieces of prey in their jaws, and Pineblaze gaped at them as they laid the creatures on the ground.

"Have you brought the whole fresh-kill pile?" he asked in astonishment, gawking at the small heap. He poked it with a paw.

"Hunting has been especially good so far today," Badgerpelt rumbled, sitting down behind all the fresh-kill. "And Heatherflower told me about the problem you're having." He chuckled. "And of course, she came up with a way to help you."

The she-cat was pacing back and forth, her tail whisking through the air as she did so. "Okay," she meowed, "so Rosefur said it would help if you started naming things now. So I came up with a game!" Finally, she stopped moving and flicked an ear at all the prey on the ground. "Badgerpelt and I are going to lay out all the fresh-kill, and you're going to have to separate one specific piece of prey from the rest. Got it?"

Without waiting for an answer, Heatherflower started nosing the fresh-kill into different lines. Badgerpelt helped, and within a few moments, there were a couple neat rows laid out in front of Pineblaze. "First," Heatherflower told Pineblaze, "you have to find the squirrel."

_Squirrel._ The familiar name rang in Pineblaze's ears, and an image of gray-brown fur and a big, fluffy tail appeared in his mind. He reached out and pulled what he believed to be the squirrel toward him. Looking up, his ears pricked in delight when he saw Badgerpelt beaming.

"That's great," his mentor rumbled kindly. Once Heatherflower replaced the squirrel back among the other pieces of fresh-kill, Badgerpelt meowed thoughtfully, "Hmm… this time, find the mouse."

_Mouse._ Suddenly, Pineblaze wasn't feeling so happy anymore. The name was familiar, he _knew _that it was, but he just couldn't seem to match it to any of the creatures in front of him. Not wanting to pick the wrong creature, he glanced up at Badgerpelt and Heatherflower for help. But the two cats simply looked back at him, keeping their expressions carefully neutral so as not to give anything away.

Pineblaze frowned and studied each animal carefully. _Mouse, mouse, mouse… Where's the mouse? _he thought, feeling annoyed. Then, suddenly, the name clicked into place, and he pulled forward the piece of prey that he hadn't been able to find the word for.

Heatherflower smiled. "It's about time!" she purred. Then she pushed the mouse back among the lines of fresh-kill.

The game continued, and Badgerpelt and Heatherflower kept blurting out names of fresh-kill left and right, going faster and faster to make it more of a challenge for Pineblaze. Several more times he had trouble with finding the mouse, but he eventually got better.

Suddenly, Finchpaw's tabby face poked through the ferns. She looked cautious, as if she didn't want to scare Pineblaze, but none of the other cats acknowledged her at first. They were much too caught up in the game.

"Rabbit!" Badgerpelt exclaimed.

"Blackbird!" Heatherflower burst out.

"_Mouse!" _they shouted together.

Pineblaze immediately pulled the mouse toward him, the first time that he had been able to find it that quickly, and Badgerpelt and Heatherflower exploded into cheers.

Finally, Pineblaze looked up at Finchpaw. "Hi," he purred, gesturing with his tail for her to come into the clearing all the way.

The young she-cat looked completely confused as she sat down beside Badgerpelt. "Err…" she began, staring at the three others like they had sprouted wings, "I'm scared to ask, but what in the name of StarClan are you doing?"

"Playing a game," Heatherflower stated matter-of-factly. "And," she added, smiling wryly, "Pineblaze seems to be winning."

"And what exactly is this game?" Finchpaw still looked extremely bewildered.

"Mouse!" Pineblaze said cheekily, grinning.

Finchpaw shook her head, exasperated. "Oh, of course. Why did I ask?" Heatherflower giggled, and Badgerpelt toppled the gold she-cat over with a hefty nudge, which only made her laugh harder.

"Heatherflower," Pineblaze mewed, staring at the laughing she-cat as she rolled over on the ground, "I hope you realize that you laugh _way _too much." Then he turned to Finchpaw and smiled. "So what brings you back here?"

The apprentice scuffed her forepaws on the ground and shrugged. "I'm not going out to train for a little bit, so I just thought I'd stop by and see how you were," she replied. Pineblaze realized then that the young she-cat looked extremely uncomfortable, and kept shooting quick glances at his wounds.

"Relax," Pineblaze purred, "the cobwebs won't come and bite your head off. Besides, it looks a lot worse than it actually is." Finchpaw smiled meekly and muttered, "I guess so."

The three cats played the game, "Name-That-Prey," as Heatherflower had oh-so-creatively dubbed it, for a little bit more before becoming bored of it. Once all the prey was returned back to the clearing, they talked for a little bit more over nothing really important.

"Well," Badgerpelt meowed, getting up to stretch as the sun began to set in the sky, "I should probably go volunteer for a patrol or something. See you later!" He disappeared through the ferns, leaving Pineblaze with Heatherflower and Finchpaw.

"Oh!" Heatherflower suddenly exclaimed, frowning. "Pineblaze, today I meant to talk to your mother. Did you know that she still doesn't really know about all the progress you've made? Since she hasn't visited, no one has really told her anything."

Pineblaze's eyes widened. "Does she still think… that I'm gonna die?"

Heatherflower shrugged. "I'm not really sure, but I would hope not. I feel bad that nobody has spoken to her since the night you got your warrior name. I stopped by the elders' den this morning just before I came here, but she wasn't there. You know how she likes to tag onto patrols sometimes; she may not be able to see, but she's still got quite a good nose for prey!" The golden she-cat purred.

"Well, if you see her later, tell her to stop by and visit," Pineblaze said.

"You got it! I'll come see you tomorrow," Heatherflower meowed. Then she got up and started to walk away through the ferns, when loud yowls suddenly broke out from the clearing. Heatherflower and Finchpaw immediately darted away, pelts bristling at the sudden commotion.

Frustrated that he had been forgotten, he heaved himself to his paws, ignoring the flare of pain that shot through his shoulder and paw, and determinedly made his way to the edge of the ferns. When he reached the clearing, his fur immediately stood on end, and he let out a wordless wail.

Just inside the camp entrance, Spottedstar stood with the blood-smeared, tattered body of a pale gray tabby hanging from his jaws.

It was Thistlestripe.

**Oooo! I love cliffies! Well, only when I write them. I hate them when I read them in other people's stories, so sorry if you hate me for this! I know that this chapter was incredibly dull, but I hope that the ending threw you for a bit of a loop. You're probably like, "Yay! This story is finally getting some action! Something important is actually happening!"**

**Anyway, in case you hadn't noticed, in the Allegiances I just edited it so that Cloverfrost already had her kits, Cinderkit, Stormkit, and Smokykit. They were mentioned in this chapter, in case you had forgotten. And thanks to my ONLY review for the last chapter, Butterfly that flies at dawn, for the name suggestions. I will use Sandkit and Gingerkit, thanks! **

**Therefore, Honeyflower's kits will be: Willowkit, Gorsekit, Sandkit, and Gingerkit. Honeyflower isn't really a major character, but I just have wayyyy too much fun naming kits. **

**As always, please review! And I promise I'll try to be faster on getting the next chapter up! Hopefully within a week or so! I'll try really hard, honest.**


	15. Chapter 14: Rosefur

**So, you know how in the last author's note I said I'd try really hard to update within a week? Well… sorry. That obviously didn't happen, considering it's been around 4 months or so since I last updated. Sorry, guys. Crazy Turtles, please don't kill me!**

**I just got at a writing low for a while after the last update and thought I should just completely give up on the fanfic. I was getting tons of writer's block and I was frustrated with all my writing because nothing would come out right. So then, in November, I did NaNoWriMo to try and boost myself back up, and it got me back into the flow of writing! And the other day, I looked back at this fic and saw a new review from Glowing-Emberzzz, and it reminded me that at least one person is counting on me to finish this fic.**

**So finish it, I shall! …someday… **

**Anyways, thank you to Glowing-Emberzzz, because your review was what really got me going. And I didn't really think of this fic as very emotional, but I guess it is XD**

**Anyways… I present to you the long awaited… CHAPTER 14!**

Rosefur emerged from her den and shook out her fur. Dawn light was seeping over the horizon, but she didn't mind that it was early. She'd always rather enjoyed being up before any other cat; she liked the calm stillness of everything in the pale morning glow. But the day wasn't as calm as she would have liked it to be, because a nipping wind ruffled her whiskers and tugged at her ear fur.

She silently cursed the weather as she stretched each stiff leg. It was still what would be considered pretty early in newleaf, but the constant flurries of snow and sharp, cold winds and frost that crunched beneath every cat's feet still troubled all of the Clans. Fortunately for LeafClan, the amount of prey was lower than normal in newleaf, but the supply was steady and able to support the Clan. Rosefur anxiously wondered if the other Clans were having it harder.

When she was done stretching, Rosefur sat down for a moment just outside the den entrance and closed her eyes, sucking the cold breath into her lungs and trying to find some source of pleasure from the chilly air. But no matter how much she tried to convince herself that it was refreshing, she couldn't believe it. And so, she gave up and rose to her paws.

When Rosefur glanced around the clearing, her heart dropped like a stone when she saw a huddled shape crouched at the edge of the fern patch in the corner, shaking in the cold and green eyes dull. Pineblaze had been in that same position for the past half moon, silent and unmoving, eating and drinking barely enough to keep himself alive.

She sighed quietly, concern sweeping through her. She can remember that night as clearly as if it had just happened…

_Yowls split the air, and Rosefur, with the experienced nose of a seasoned medicine cat, immediately scented the blood. She leapt out of her den, old bones groaning in protest, but she raced into the clearing anyway. _

_There was a crowd gathered there already, but they parted to let her through. Everyone had fallen silent with fear in his or her gazes, and when Rosefur reached the center of the group of cats she understood why._

_Spottedstar was standing beside a motionless form on the ground. It was a pale tabby with tufty fur, much like Spottedstar himself, and Rosefur's stomach lurched when she recognized that face beneath the coating of blood: Thistlestripe. _

_Spottedstar was looking down at her, swaying slightly on his paws. Panic and terror flickered in his eyes as he stared his sister. "Help her," he choked out, finally looking up at Rosefur. The expression on his face was a mask of shock. "You have to help her."_

_Rosefur frowned, and was going to gently tell him that it was too late, there was too much blood… but then she realized that Thistlestripe's flank was rising and falling. Very slowly and raggedly, but she was breathing nonetheless._

_"Bring her to my den," Rosefur meowed, keeping her voice calm and steady. She knew the rest of the Clan would take their cue from her; if she panicked, so would they. The medicine cat whirled around and made her way into her den. Spottedstar and Silverwind followed, carrying the she-cat between them. _

_A couple days ago, Rosefur had set up a barrier in the middle of the den to separate the cats ill with greencough and whitecough from injured cats. She and Tumblepaw had spent a few hours meticulously stringing together strands of ivy and sticking them to the ceiling with bits of cobweb to form a thick curtain. Now, she led the two warriors into the section for injured cats, which was currently- and thankfully—empty. _

_Once Thistlestripe had been laid down on a mossy nest, Rosefur immediately started packing cobwebs onto the three deep gashes running down the she-cat's side. Tumblepaw was lingering uncertainly at the edge of the den. "You and Silverwind can wait outside," Rosefur said as she continued treating Thistlestripe. Tumblepaw and Silverwind left without protest, though she noticed that Tumblepaw cast an uneasy glance backwards as he padded out, as if he wanted to stay and help. But he hadn't much training in treating such extensive injuries yet, so he wouldn't have been able to do much anyway._

_A few moments later, blood had already soaked through the cobwebs. Rosefur also saw that something was wrong with Thistlestripe's front legs; they were bent, twisted unnaturally. That was when she realized it was too late to save Thistlestripe. But to keep Spottedstar from going into complete shock, she continued to peel away scarlet-soaked cobwebs and put new ones on._

_"What happened?" she asked steadily as she worked._

_Spottedstar was sitting close by, and he closed his eyes. "I was on patrol," he whispered, "with Flamefoot and Hazelberry. When we got close to edge of our territory, near the waterfall by StoneClan, we saw Thistlestripe standing on the edge of a boulder at the very top. We called to her, asked what she was doing." Rosefur noticed that Spottedstar was digging his claws into the earthy floor. "She… she said to me that everyone was dying, and that nobody could help her. Then, before I could do anything… she… jumped. Just like that, she jumped off that boulder." His voice cracked, but he kept going. "She landed on a rock in the river below. Me and Flamefoot had to swim out so we could get her off."_

_Thatwas when Rosefur realized the leader's fur was flattened not in fear, but with water. Suddenly, Spottedstar looked up. There was painful realization in his gaze. "You can't do anything, can you?" he whispered._

_Rosefur stopped putting the cobwebs on for the umpteenth time and sat down slowly. She shook her head, glancing down at the tattered, dying she-cat in front of her. "I'm so sorry, Spottedstar," Rosefur replied, the words sticking in her throat. "But if she's lost the will to live, she will die even if I could treat her wounds."_

_Just then, Thistlestripe jerked slightly, and her slightless blue eyes opened a fraction. "My baby," she gasps hoarsely, chest heaving. "Pineblaze… my son."_

_Before Rosefur could run and fetch Pineblaze, so he could be with Thistlestripe in her final moments, she heard a voice at the den entrance. "I'm here," came Pineblaze's soft mew, and the apprentice struggled to limp over, but he made it to his mother's side. Rosefur saw Heatherflower hovering worriedly in the entrance, grief in her gold eyes. _

_Rosefur stepped away as Pineblaze halted beside Thistlestripe. "I'm here," he repeated gently, pressing his nose to her cheek. She was too caught up in her sadness to notice that Pineblaze was truly standing all on his own. _

_Thistlestripe's breathing was quickening, but her cloudy blue eyes were calm, as if a peace had stolen over her with her son beside her. "I'm sorry, Pineblaze," she said breathlessly, struggling to get the words out. "I realize now… I shouldn't have done this to myself… I'm s-sorry I won't be there for you, but the grief was… too much." The she-cat was practically gulping down air now, and blood bubbled at her lips. "I needed to get away from everything…"_

_Pineblaze nuzzled her shoulder, trembling now. "Please don't leave." _

_That spark of life was disappearing from Thistlestripe's eyes. "I love you more than anything, baby," she meowed faintly. "Be good. I will always be watching over you… Always…"_

_The young tom's legs buckled, and he collapsed beside her with a strangled whimper, burying his face in her neck. "Momma," he whispered into her fur._

_The stream of blood coming from Thistlestripe's mouth thickened, and her eyes rolled back. Her body convulsed once, and then she was still. Pineblaze didn't move from beside her, his shoulders shaking. _

_And later that night, after Rosefur had dutifully cleaned the blood from the she-cat's fur and rubbed her fur down with sweet-smelling herbs, after her body had been laid down carefully in the clearing, after the rest of the Clan had murmured their farewells to Thistlestripe and returned to their dens, Rosefur had remained and sat close by as Pineblaze lay with his nose pressed into her fur. _

_And she had heard his heartbroken whisper, the words he had uttered into the silence of the night, to his dead mother._

_"I would have taken all of the pain and grief in your life in a heartbeat, if it could have stopped you from doing this." _

_Rosefur knew the words would forever haunt her. _

The medicine cat remembered all this as she gazed at the young cat crouched stiffly by the ferns. In the half moon that had passed, the Clan had recovered. They had grieved, of course, and were all shocked by the fact that Thistlestripe had become so depressed over her blindness and Ashleaf's death and the torture that she was certain would cause Pineblaze to die, that the she-cat was willing to throw herself off a waterfall to escape it all.

The elders, Rowantail and Russetcloud, had been in mourning for longer than some of the others because they had spent more time with Thistlestripe. When Thistlestripe had been blinded, it was the elders who had cheered her up, made her believe that she could still be useful to the Clan without her sight. They had become good friends with the young she-cat, with her gentle nature and sweet personality. Rowantail, who had whitecough, stubbornly marched out of the medicine den and said good-bye to his good friend the night of the vigil. He had said that no stupid cough would keep him from giving Thistlestripe a final farewell. Rosefur admired him, and Russetcloud, for their loyalty to Thistlestripe.

Spottedstar had finally recovered from the grief, and that lively spark had returned to his eyes. He seemed happier now. Rosefur knew he still was blaming himself for not getting to the waterfall in time to stop Thistlestripe, but he had recovered nonetheless.

But then there was Pineblaze. Since the night of the vigil, he hadn't spoken a word to anyone, not even Heatherflower. He had sat at the edge of the fern patch as Thistlestripe's body was carried away to be buried, and since then he had only moved slowly back and forth between the fresh-kill pile and the dirtplace tunnel and that same spot by the ferns, his head drooping and ears flat. His expression had remained blank, as if he was numb to everyone and everything around him. Cats had brought him food and water if he hadn't already gotten something for himself that day, but he didn't acknowledge them, only stared at whatever prey they had brought him as if it would suddenly come alive and bite him. When Rosefur changed the bindings on his shoulder and forepaw and replaced the cobwebs on his wounds each day and told him that everything was healing nicely, he wouldn't even look at her.

Needless to say, the whole entire Clan was starting to worry over Pineblaze.

There was nobody else out yet, just Darkfrost, who was standing guard at the entrance. But he was far enough away that if Rosefur talked to Pineblaze, he wouldn't overhear, especially with this loud wind.

Making up her mind, Rosefur trotted over to the dappled tom. As usual, he didn't budge or even look up to see who was coming. His green eyes, once so bright and full of joy, were now dark and vacant, trained on the ground just in front of him. Worry fluttered in Rosefur's stomach when she saw his ungroomed fur and how thin he looked. He was slowly starving himself, and obviously no longer had any concern for his personal well-being.

The medicine cat sat down in front of him. "Hello, Pineblaze," she said gently, tipping her head to one side. "It's cold out. You should be in shelter, staying warm."

She was surprised when Pineblaze actually shrugged at her. Even though he hadn't said anything, at least he had acknowledged that Rosefur was _there._

"I have some good news," Rosefur pressed him, hoping for some sort of response. When he only blinked at the ground, she continued, "I think we can take the splint off your paw now."

Pineblaze didn't do anything, just blinked again, and Rosefur felt disappointed. She had been certain that it would catch his attention. Even though he hadn't responded, Rosefur figured he must be listening, so she meowed, "It's miraculous, really, that your paw has healed so soon. Sometimes it can even take up to a moon and a half, maybe more, for broken bones to heal all the way. For you it only took a little more than a half moon. And all of your scratches have closed up, with no more infection. Now we just need to be careful of your shoulder and those cuts on your stomach." Secretly, Rosefur believed that StarClan must have intervened and helped heal Pineblaze, because it was impossible that so many terrible wounds could have been mended in such a short period of time. Perhaps their warrior ancestors had taken pity on the young apprentice, she didn't really know, but what she did know was that they must have helped somehow.

A moment later, when Pineblaze still hadn't moved or shown any emotion to anything she had just told him, Rosefur sighed, ready to get to her paws. "I'll come back later to check on you, okay?" Even she could hear the disappointment in her voice.

As she was about to stand and turn away, she heard it. A voice. A very soft voice. "Rosefur?" Pineblaze sounded so young, so fragile, but Rosefur was elated when he lifted his head to look at her.

"Yes, Pineblaze?" Rosefur asked gently.

"My, um… my shoulder," Pineblaze said, almost shyly. "And my stomach. They don't hurt anymore."

Rosefur frowned. "Are you sure? When I checked yesterday, your shoulder was the same. And the scratches on your stomach are only just starting to close up."

Pineblaze nodded. "I mean, they ache a little when I move, and I still limp a lot, but other than that they don't hurt." His eyes were wide; even he looked confused by how fast he was healing.

"Let me check," Rosefur suggested lightly, and Pineblaze slowly rolled over so she could look at his stomach first. When Rosefur peeled away the thick wads of cobwebs, she couldn't help but gasp when she saw that there were no longer the two long, open gashes that had been there only yesterday morning. Now, there were only two wide pink scars with dried blood crusting the edges.

When Rosefur lifted the cobwebs from his shoulder, she felt even more confused when she didn't see the patch of angry red flesh with bits of bone gleaming beneath that had become so familiar to her. In its place was a thick, jagged line that cut through Pineblaze's fur. It was an ugly and very noticeable scar, certainly, but… he was healed.

Completely healed.

Rocking backward, Rosefur frowned. She pondered over everything as Pineblaze slowly sat up, looking nervously at her, as if he had done something wrong. _It's like he just… healed overnight, _Rosefur thought wonderingly. Now, she was sure StarClan had something to do with it. Of course, there were still all those shattered bones in Pineblaze's shoulder from the pressure of the fox trap, so there would most likely always be some pain, and he would always limp. But Rosefur felt hope. Hope that Pineblaze might be able to return to apprentice training. Hope that if he worked hard enough, he might even become a warrior. A true warrior.

Rosefur didn't say any of this to Pineblaze, in case she got his hopes up and there was a sudden setback that kept him from doing all those things. Instead, she smiled to herself and shook her head, lifting her face upward to the sky.

_I don't know why you chose this apprentice, StarClan, _she thought, _I don't know if he's just a normal cat, if you took pity on him, or if he's special, but thank you. Thank you for giving him a chance at life._

When Rosefur looked back at Pineblaze, she smiled warmly at him. "I wouldn't call it anything short of a miracle that you could have healed that fast," she meowed honestly. "This is good progress, Pineblaze. Very good progress. But," she added, her medicine cat instincts kicking in, "just take it easy for a few more days, to make sure you're really all healed up. If you are, then we'll have a talk with Spottedstar, okay?"

Pineblaze seemed to get what she was hinting at, because a small smile crossed his face. Rosefur could still see that underlying grief in his eyes, grief for his mother, but now there was something else, a kind of gentle calmness. And Rosefur knew then that he had finally come to terms with Thistlestripe's death. He had just needed time, that was all.

Now, a few cats started to filter out of their dens. Spottedstar appeared from his den, yawning widely. It was time for the first patrols to go out.

"Do me a favor," Rosefur said to Pineblaze. "I know it's hard… with your mother being gone." Rosefur felt slightly guilty when Pineblaze looked away, sadness glimmering in his eyes, but she continued, "But just try to take better care of yourself. Your mother wouldn't want to see you like this, so sad and quiet. She'd want you to be happy."

Pineblaze looked up once more, now with steely determination in his bright green eyes. "I know," he meowed softly. "I'll be fine, I promise."

Rosefur smiled. "I know." Then she rose to her paws and padded off toward the medicine den to give the sick cats their daily herbs. She passed Heatherflower, who had just emerged from the warriors' den and was stretching.

"He's better," Rosefur told Heatherflower happily, halting beside the gold she-cat.

Rosefur didn't even have to say who "he" was. Heatherflower blinked curiously at the medicine cat. "What do you mean?" she asked, hope starting to show in her mew.

Rosefur simply said, "Go see for yourself." And Heatherflower didn't miss a beat; she immediately bounded off across the clearing. When she reached Pineblaze, she greeted him with an excited wave of her tail, and when the young tom smiled at Heatherflower, Rosefur just knew he would be okay.

* * *

><p>The starlight and bright, shining moon lit up the frosty ground. All the cats were in their dens except for two warriors that were guarding the entrance, as usual. Rosefur silently slipped out through the dirtplace tunnel; even though the warriors wouldn't question a medicine cat going for a walk at night, she didn't want them getting curious.<p>

When Rosefur stepped out into the forest, she immediately set off through the bushes and trees. Her paws moved confidently through the layer of cold, frostbitten leaves and crunching grass. She had traveled this trail many times before, although she was not proud that she had. She hated meeting with Eagleclaw, but she didn't have much of a choice.

When she reached their usual meeting place, a tall, cracked stump on the StoneClan border, Eagleclaw was already there, tail flicking impatiently. When he saw the medicine cat approaching, he stalked forward. "Why didn't you come to our last meeting?" he demanded.

"I was busy," she said coolly. "There are ill cats in my Clan that had to be tended to. But I came now. It's the day before the half-moon, as usual."

Eagleclaw bared his teeth slightly, then regained his composure quickly. "So," he drawled, "any news?"

Rosefur couldn't help but think of Pineblaze. "Well," she admitted, "remember that apprentice that Spottedstar talked about at the Gathering? He's healed now. It's possible he could even start training again." Rosefur felt happiness surge in her chest.

"Yes, yes, the apprentice," Eagleclaw meowed in a bored tone, his tail-tip twitching. "But I meant anything important. Any deaths? Any change in the prey supply?" He narrowed his gleaming yellow eyes.

Normally, Rosefur would have spilled everything to him in fear that he would see she was hiding something and reveal her secret to the Clans to punish her. But she had no desire to tell him of Thistlestripe's death; she knew he would just be happy that LeafClan had one less cat, and she didn't want to risk pouncing on him if she got angry. So she just said simply, "No deaths. The prey supply is the same."

Eagleclaw seemed to believe her, because he just sat down. "Well, that's not very exciting," he commented dryly. "I was hoping for something a bit more significant."

Rosefur felt sudden anger surge up inside her. "Well," she growled, "I thought the fact that Pineblaze will _live _is pretty significant."

Eagleclaw glared at her. "What do I care about a stupid apprentice?" he hissed. "When StoneClan destroys the other Clans, he'll die along with the others."

The medicine cat's fur bristled in fury. She hated it when he talked about destroying the other Clans. "You wouldn't be saying that," she snarled, "if you knew that Pineblaze is Ashleaf's _son_!" Even though Ashleaf had never told her directly, it had always been fairly obvious to her that he had come from StoneClan and was Eagleclaw's brother. He had looked quite a bit like him, after all.

Now, Eagleclaw's ears pricked in interest. "So," he said curiously, "Ashleaf _did_ have a son."

Rosefur was beginning to regret saying it. Now, Eagleclaw would always be interested in Pineblaze, always be keeping an eye out for him. Rosefur didn't want that. "Yes, he had a son," she said stiffly, whiskers twitching. "If there's nothing else, then I have to leave now."

Eagleclaw frowned, as if he wanted to question her about his nephew, but he just meowed, "You can leave. I will see you soon." As Rosefur turned away, she realized the StoneClan deputy looked deep in thought. _Thinking about Pineblaze, _she thought worriedly.

As Rosefur made her way back to camp, she sighed. Her pawsteps were heavy. She hoped Eagleclaw wouldn't come and try to take Pineblaze to StoneClan. He had certainly seemed interested in his brother's son. _StarClan, what am I doing? _she thought in despair. _Why did Eagleclaw have to pick me? Why does he have to use _me_ as some kind of personal puppet?_

By the time Rosefur slipped back into camp and settled in her nest beside Tumblepaw in the medicine den, she was too tired to think about Eagleclaw much anymore. She tucked her nose beneath her tail and let sleep carry away her worries.

**I hope that was okay. I know i've stalled for super long, but anyone that's still willing to read... please review! I will try my hardest to start the next chapter ASAP!**


	16. Chapter 15

**Hey, people! Look at me, 2 updates in a span of 4 days! And today _is _12/12/12, after all, so I figured it would be a good updating time. :)**

Come on, just a little farther!"

Taking strength from Heatherflower's encouraging meow, Pineblaze gritted his teeth and stretched his left paw a whisker-length further, trembling with the effort. He snagged the moss ball with a claw and pulled it toward him, panting, but triumphant.

Heatherflower's eyes were shining. "Much better than yesterday," she purred, a smile curling her muzzle.

Pineblaze couldn't help but smile back. It had been only a couple days since Rosefur had discovered that Pineblaze's stomach gashes and shoulder wound had closed up seemingly overnight. To start to build up some of his strength again, which he had lost due to sitting around for the past half moon, Rosefur had started to give him exercises to stretch out his injured shoulder as best as he could.

"Although the shoulder wound has healed, I'm pretty sure some bones are still permanently damaged," Rosefur had stated the previous day, "so it is highly likely that you will always have a limp. But you can lessen the limp by building up muscle around the damaged area."

Completely willing to try and fix his shoulder as much as possible, Pineblaze had eagerly started doing the exercises. But they were much more straining than he had thought they would be. Now, laying on his belly in the fern patch with Heatherflower nearby in case he needed any help, he could feel pain blossoming in his left shoulder and foreleg from stretching to get the moss ball. But Rosefur had said that pain was normal, so he tried to ignore it.

"I'm hungry," Pineblaze grunted, heaving himself to his paws with his back paws and good right front paw. His left leg ached too much to put weight on it.

Heatherflower just nodded and led the way out of the ferns. Pineblaze felt a glow of happiness as he limped slowly after her. Although his movements were stiff and a bit painful, he was finding it much easier to get around than he had only a few days ago. _The exercises must be helping, _he told himself, smiling.

Pineblaze halted just at the edge of the ferns, as he usually did, while Heatherflower went to get prey from the fresh-kill pile. The golden she-cat knew he felt self-conscious around his Clanmates. But Pineblaze frowned when Heatherflower stopped beside him instead. "No," she meowed determinedly, "you're going to eat with me in the clearing today."

Pineblaze opened his mouth to protest, but Heatherflower interrupted him. "No," she repeated, sitting down stubbornly. "You have to face the Clan eventually. So if you won't eat in the clearing, I won't go get food. "

The young tom glanced at his paws, feeling uncertain. His belly rumbled, urging him to move to the fresh-kill pile. But he knew that his Clanmates would look at him funny if they saw him hobbling around like an invalid. _Well… I guess I am an invalid, _he thought soberly, all traces of happiness gone now.

Heatherflower tipped her head, her tone softer now. "Pineblaze, they're your Clanmates, your friends." Her gaze was warm and sympathetic. "They won't say anything about the way you look. If anything, they'll be so happy to see the progress you're making."

He tried to convince himself that Heatherflower was right. _They're my friends, _he said firmly in his mind. Still feeling reluctant, Pineblaze finally nodded. Heatherflower beamed at him, and draped her tail across his back as they walked out into the open clearing together.

As they stopped at the fresh-kill pile and the she-cat began rummaging through the prey, Pineblaze immediately began to feel nervous. Despite what Heatherflower had said, he could feel the gazes of the cats around him scorching his pelt. Dustpaw and Cloudpaw had stopped sparring outside the apprentice den. Birchclaw and Littlewing had paused in their grooming nearby. A pair of curious yellow eyes glimmered at him from the nursery.

Even when Pineblaze and Heatherflower settled at the edge of the clearing, near the camp entrance, to share a blackbird, Pineblaze could still feel the stares, despite the fact that he wasn't as exposed.

"I wish they would stop looking," Pineblaze mumbled through a mouthful of feathers. "Can't a cat eat in peace?"

Heatherflower pressed her nose briefly to his ear. "It's fine," she meowed reassuringly. "They're just curious, is all. And if anyone says anything, they'll have _me _to deal with!" She puffed out her chest in an attempt to look threatening, which only made Pineblaze laugh.

Just as the two were finishing up their meal, a small moss ball flew toward them, catching on the tip of Pineblaze's ear. He frowned, trying to flick it off, when all of a sudden a small gray ball skyrocketed into his side. The dappled tom let out a hiss of fright and jumped away, aggravating his shoulder. Even though he had been making progress emotionally as well as physically, his heart was still thudding rapidly, about to burst from his chest, from the abrupt arrival of something unknown coming out of nowhere. He still wasn't a big fan of surprise visitors; a tiny part of his mind wouldn't stop whispering that strangers would hurt him.

Blinking, Pineblaze saw a little gray she-kit peering up at him with huge, liquid blue eyes. They were the brightest blue he had ever seen, absolutely stunning. She had a distinctive white flash on her chest, and her right front paw was midnight-black. Although, he noticed, she wasn't really a kit. Her pelt had lost a lot of kit fluff and was growing sleeker; she looked to be almost six moons, ready to be an apprentice.

Her gaze was full of apology, but also something… wary. "I didn't mean it," she meowed immediately, ears flattened. Her voice was clearly defensive, as if she thought Pineblaze was going to accuse her of something serious, like murder, not simply bumping into him by accident. She looked scared out of her mind, with her dark silvery fur fluffed out.

Pineblaze surprised himself by letting out a light laugh. "You didn't do anything wrong," he meowed gently. "And relax, I won't eat you." He smiled a bit, and Heatherflower remained silent beside him, but with an amused gleam in her eyes.

The she-kit let out a big sigh, making it sound as if all of her worries had been swept away with that single exhale of breath. She looked rather relieved that he wouldn't eat her. "I really am sorry, though," she mewed, this time with less caution in her tone.

Pineblaze flicked an ear, sitting down slowly so he wouldn't make his shoulder hurt even more. "It's fine," he said nonchalantly.

Now, the she-kit's gaze was open and curious. "You're Pinepaw," she stated matter-of-factly, making it sound as if he must be hearing his own name for the first time.

The tom shrugged slightly, still smiling. "Yes, I am," he purred, "or rather, Pineblaze, but I'm not even quite seven moons yet, so Pinepaw would make more sense now, I suppose."

The she-kit sat down heavily and with finality, as if intending to stay there for the rest of eternity. "You're not even seven moons yet?" she inquired. Without waiting for an answer, she continued earnestly, "I'm gonna be six moons in a couple days, and then I'll become an apprentice. And I'm gonna be the best warrior in the _world_."

Pineblaze liked this she-cat, and the way she said everything so simply, as if nothing was a big deal. She was different, he supposed, but it felt nice to chat with her. She wasn't giving him a strange look like some of his Clanmates had. She was just looking at him like he was a normal cat, who hadn't been almost tortured to death.

"I'm Cinderkit," she meowed, blue eyes sparkling and head lifted, as if her name was what she was proudest of. "And one day," little Cinderkit added quite seriously, "my warrior name is gonna be Cinderfire, 'cause I'm gonna be super _fierce_! Like a fire!" She crouched down, tail flicking. She lashed out a paw at an invisible enemy.

Pineblaze found it funny how she had said she was just about six moons old, but her energy caused her to act like a kit half her age. His grin grew wider as she rolled over and started batting at his tail-tip. He glanced over at Heatherflower, half amused and half puzzled. Heatherflower simply chuckled.

_What an interesting little cat, _Pineblaze thought, but he found her slight immaturity and the energy she seemed to radiate quite amusing.

"So," Cinderkit said suddenly, rolling onto her belly and gazing at Pineblaze intently with those bright blue eyes of hers. "Are you gonna start training again?"

Pineblaze felt a bit bewildered. He, Heatherflower, and Rosefur hadn't yet told anyone it was possible they might talk to Spottedstar at getting him back into apprentice training. How would this kit know? "Why would you say that?" Pineblaze meowed carefully.

Cinderkit just shrugged. "Just because," she said confidently. "Even though you have a limpy-problem-thingy, I can tell you're gonna be a warrior one day. You have that look about you." She tipped her head to one side, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Unsure of how to respond, Pineblaze hesitated. Then, a voice called anxiously from the nursery, "Cinderkit! Where are you?" Cloverfrost, a pale gray queen, was looking around with worry written all over her face. _Cloverfrost is Spottedstar's mate, _Pineblaze suddenly remembered. _So Cinderkit… is his daughter. _Somehow, Pineblaze wasn't surprised. He could see Spottedstar having the same type of energy his daughter did when he was just a kit.

The little gray she-cat scrambled to her paws. She grinned brightly at Heatherflower and Pineblaze. "Nice talking to you!" she said happily, before bounding away toward her mother with her tail high in the air.

"Well," Pineblaze murmured after a moment of silence, "that was… interesting."

Heatherflower just laughed. "I liked her, she was cute."

Pineblaze rolled his eyes. "You would think any kit was cute, Heatherflower."

The gold she-cat nodded eagerly. "All kits _are_ cute!" she exclaimed. "Especially ones that are almost apprentices, but still act like a one moon old kitten." She smiled wryly, obviously knowing that Pineblaze had noticed Cinderkit's immature behavior also.

The tom made no response. He looked across the clearing as Cloverfrost herded a bouncing little Cinderkit back into the nursery. _She really is interesting, _he couldn't help but think again, as if the small, hyper gray she-cat would not leave his mind.

"So," Heatherflower meowed, jolting Pineblaze out of his thoughts. He looked over at her, surprised to see her smiling widely. "Rosefur told me you could go into the forest today! You know, walk around a bit to exercise, get some fresh air outside this stuffy camp…. Of course, someone will have to go with you-"

"Really?" Pineblaze meowed excitedly, pushing himself to his paws in his eagerness. _I can go into the forest! _His heart soared as he thought of smelling the scent of the sweet tree bark, hearing the crunching sound of the frosty grass beneath his paws… Even though it was still unnaturally cold and breezy for newleaf, he knew a trip outside of camp would do him good. He had been confined to camp for a long time; he had been starting to feel penned in and restless.

Heatherflower flicked him over the muzzle with her tail. "Look, I have to go on patrol," she told him apologetically, "so I can't go with you. But I'm sure you could find somebody that'd be happy to go out with you. Rosefur doesn't want you going alone." The warrior smiled at him briefly before padding off to join Darkfrost's patrol, which immediately exited the camp when Heatherflower arrived.

Frowning, Pineblaze wondered who would take him. He had seen Badgerpelt leave on patrol a bit earlier, and he hadn't returned yet. He would have asked Rosefur to come, considering that he had become more comfortable around her, but he knew she had sick cats to take care of; he couldn't possibly ask her to leave her duties.

Pineblaze sat down for a moment and looked around camp, trying to figure out who he could ask. He didn't want to ask a warrior he wasn't very familiar with; after all, he was still a very young apprentice and hadn't become very friendly with many of the warriors yet.

Suddenly, while sweeping the clearing with his sharp green gaze, he spotted a flash of dark brown and white. _Thrushfeather. _Pineblaze felt his heart lift at the sight of his foster mother as she stretched beside the warriors' den, but then he felt of a flash of some other feeling, a feeling that he couldn't quite identify.

Thrushfeather was Driftpaw's mother… and Brackenpaw's.

_Thrushfeather is not like Brackenpaw. She's kind and gentle. She was practically your second mother, _Pineblaze told himself firmly, although he felt a trace of sadness when he suddenly thought of his true mother Thistlestripe. But he quickly pushed it away; now was a time for him to happy. He was going into the forest!

Shaking off any doubt he felt, Pineblaze made his way across the clearing. Thrushfeather spotted him coming, and when he reached her, she smiled. But Pineblaze noticed the smile was tight around the edges, perhaps almost forced.

"Hello," she purred, waving her tail in greeting, although her purr sounded a little off. There was something there, some emotion, showing deep in her amber eyes, but Pineblaze couldn't identify it. "I see you're much better," she added.

He smiled back, although his wasn't forced. He was genuinely happy to see her; he felt as if they hadn't spoken for a very long time. "Yes," he meowed, "Rosefur is a great medicine cat." He paused, unsure of how to ask without sounding awkward, then questioned, "Would you mind coming into the forest with me?"

At Thrushfeather's doubtful look and her quick glance at his shoulder, he said quickly, "Rosefur said it was okay. She thought the exercise would be good. But she doesn't want me going alone, and a lot of other cats I would have asked are out of camp right now…" He trailed off. He was beginning to think she would say no.

But she surprised him by suddenly nodding. "Of course I will," she told him, brushing her tail down his flank. Pineblaze tried not to flinch at the sudden movement. But from a cat that looked so similar to Brackenpaw, it was hard not to remember everything he had done to Pineblaze.

"Thank you," Pineblaze purred, shoving away all unpleasant thoughts of Brackenpaw's… mistreatment of him.

"No problem," Thrushfeather said quietly, before trotting off toward the camp entrance. She suddenly seemed to realize that Pineblaze couldn't keep up as he slowly plodded behind her, and she paused to wait for him, ears flattened with embarrassment. "Sorry," she mewed.

Pineblaze just waved his tail to dismiss her forgetfulness that he couldn't move as fast as other cats. It had been an honest mistake.

The moment he stepped out of camp, his ears were filled with the sound of rustling tree branches and a distant owl hooting. His scents were flooded with the sweet scent of the trees and bushes around him. Even though it was cold and the trees had few leaves and everything looked frozen and still, it was as if the sights and sounds of the forest brought joy to Pineblaze's very soul. He hadn't truly realized how much he had missed this territory until that moment.

Pineblaze took a moment, just standing and breathing in the sharp, cool air that seemed to refresh him. But he realized then that Thrushfeather was standing a bit ahead of him, looking back with confusion in her gaze, so he just shook out his fur and continued to follow her.

The tom wordlessly followed after the brown she-cat. She moved at a slow enough pace so that he could keep up pretty easily. Pineblaze didn't even pay attention to what direction they were heading; he didn't think even Thrushfeather quite knew. For the moment, Pineblaze was content with just taking in his surroundings, the surroundings he hadn't been near for such a long time. It didn't matter to him where they were going.

Eventually, though, Pineblaze's shoulder was starting to ache more from the combination of the exercises earlier that day, and now this walking. _This is the most moving around I've done ever since… it…happened, _he thought, gritting his teeth. The going got rougher and rougher for him, but he tried to distract himself by brushing against leaves and trees as he limped along, and trying to draw comfort from everything he was so familiar with. But when that no longer worked, and his pain returned with a vengeance, he finally had to stop.

Abruptly, Pineblaze halted and sat down, panting slightly and carefully keeping his left paw off the ground. Thrushfeather, who had been a few steps ahead, quickly bounded back. The worry was clear in her gaze, but Pineblaze cut her off as she opened her mouth to speak.

"I'm fine," he meowed, sounding out of breath. "I just need a quick rest, that's all."

Thrushfeather nodded and sat down, too, but he thought he could still see a trace of concern on her face. The two cats sat side by side for a few minutes, not speaking, until Pineblaze's breathing had returned to normal. He straightened up and pricked his ears, looking around and feeling much better from his rest. He smiled when he heard a stream gurgling along to his left. He knew they were near the LeafClan border with the Gathering Hill, which was in the center of all four Clans' territories.

"Come on," Pineblaze meowed cheerily, standing up and setting off in the direction of the stream. Thrushfeather looked surprised at his sudden renewed energy, but jumped up and followed regardlessly.

A couple minutes later, they arrived at the stream. Pineblaze was happy to see it wasn't frozen. This was the stream where he would sometimes spend mornings with his mother if he had free time. When he was a kit of about four moons old, she had mischievously snuck him out of camp and took him to this very spot for the first time. Ever since, it had been their spot, and theirs alone. Thistlestripe had told Pineblaze that it was the one place she really loved because the sound of the water running over the pebbles was like music to her ears, because she could no longer see it.

As memories flooded through him, Pineblaze smiled, but it was bittersweet. If only Thistlestripe was still here, to keep making memories here with him.

Now, he plodded forward to sit just at the edge of the stream, with his pawtips submerged the slightest bit in the icy water. To his left and slightly behind him was the sprawling cedar tree, and at its base was the bush on which gorgeous golden flowers would bloom in the spring. Even in this cold weather, without any flowers or leaves, the bush and tree looked just as magnificent as they always had. Pineblaze suddenly realized how much he loved this spot, too. It held a certain kind of quiet beauty about it, the type of beauty you would notice only if you looked closer at the details.

Thrushfeather settled a few tail-lengths behind him. He knew she could tell he was deep in thought, and obviously didn't want to disturb him.

Pineblaze bent his head to lap up some of the cold, clear liquid, but he abruptly pulled back when he saw his reflection. Scared to look again, Pineblaze swallowed and leaned forward again. He tried not to start shaking when he saw himself… what he looked like.

Pineblaze's right ear was nicked on top, in the shape of a tiny V. On the side of his neck was a thin line that wrapped around to the front and traveled down the center of his chest. Several other scars on his chest and neck stood out starkly against his dappled fur. There was another, not as noticeable as the others, on his left foreleg. A small line where Brackenpaw had buried his teeth in Pineblaze's leg and twisted. Pineblaze's ears flattened when he heard the noise of it cracking in his head. Then, above Pineblaze's right eye was a thick, obvious scar where Brackenpaw had slashed him. But worst of all… was his shoulder. It parted the fur on his left shoulder, long and jagged at the edges. It was so ugly. Not even on the most seasoned warrior had Pineblaze seen a scar like that.

He felt as if he was falling into a deep, dark pit with no bottom. His joy at being out and in the forest he so loved had all but disappeared. _No wonder my Clanmates stare, _Pineblaze thought miserably, now understanding the strange looks they would throw his way. _I would stare, too, if I saw a cat that looked like this. _

Unable to stand the sight of himself any longer, Pineblaze ripped his gaze away and backed up slightly. He flinched when he felt a tail gently brush along his spine; Thrushfeather had padded up beside him, frowning.

"Is… is that really what I look like?" Pineblaze whispered, closing his eyes.

His foster mother moved closer to him, her flank brushing against his. "It doesn't matter what you look like on the outside, Pineblaze," she told him gently. "The inside is what's important. And you, Pineblaze, are a true warrior on the inside."

When Pineblaze opened his eyes to look at Thrushfeather, he saw sadness and guilt showing clearly on her face, in her eyes. She pressed against the cat that she had raised. Pineblaze squeezed his eyes closed once more, pretending that he could un-see that image he had just seen in the stream. He pressed his cheek against Thrushfeather's chest, and she placed her chin on top of his head.

"I'm so sorry, Pineblaze," the she-cat murmured, her voice cracking. "I'm so sorry for what my son did to you."

And when the young cat started trembling, Thrushfeather didn't move, only sat there with her foster son pressed against her deep brown fur.

* * *

><p>When the two returned to camp, it was almost sunset. Pineblaze was exhausted now, both physically and emotionally, although Thrushfeather had made him feel much better. He was surprised when they entered and saw Spottedstar sitting on a branch of Crookedtree with the rest of the Clan gathered at the base. The warriors and apprentices looked excited, chattering like a nest of starlings.<p>

"Now that I have discussed it with my senior warriors," Spottedstar was meowing to the LeafClan cats as Thrushfeather and Pineblaze padded up to the edge of the crowd, "it has been decided. Tomorrow, at dawn, we will lead a raid against StoneClan."

**i know that wasn't one of my most exciting chapters, but I hope you enjoyed it! And yay, a... kinda cliffie? I bet y'all have been waiting for stupid ole StoneClan to get taught a lesson! XD**

**Anyways, please review! ~Jaystripe**


	17. Chapter 16: Cloudpaw

**Hai guys! I know, it's been uberrrr long since the last time I updated, and I'm sosososo sorry! But the good news is: I got my own laptop for Christmas! So hopefully, it'll be easier for me to get chappies done, which means more updates more often! *cheers***

**Just to recap, since it's been a while: Thistlestripe has, sadly, moved on to StarClan. *weeps* But Pineblaze has come to terms with it, as has Spottedstar and the rest of the Clan. It's been a half moon since her death, and Pineblaze goes into the forest with Thrushfeather, who is Brackenpaw's mother and Pineblaze's own foster mother. They take a walk, but they don't talk too much. When Pineblaze sees his reflection in a stream, he is horrified by his scars, and Thrushfeather comforts him, saying that she is sorry for what Brackenpaw, her son, has done to him. When they return to camp at sunset, they are surprised to see that a meeting has been called. Spottedstar announces that the next day, at dawn, they will go on a raid against StoneClan.**

**Also, this is just a sidenote. I'm going to try and keep a better timeline of this story. So, let's say the day the StoneClan cats came to LeafClan was Day 1. Then, (if I remember correctly), let's just say that Brackenpaw did his little torture-thing with Pineblaze on Day 2 (ugh, sounds terrible. "little torture-thing"). And, let's say that the day Pineblaze is found is Day 3. On Day 4, he gets the infection but survives. And then a couple days pass, so let's pretend that on Day 7, Thistlestripe dies. After a half moon (two weeks, which is fourteen days), it's Day 14. The last chappie was two days after this, so last chappie was Day 16.**

**So, basically, this chapter takes off at sunset on Day 16, cha?**

**Anyways, this a really long chappie, so enjoy~**

Cloudpaw pushed her way to the front of the crowd, her green eyes glimmering with anticipation at Spottedstar's announcement. As the oldest apprentice, she would most likely fight in the battle. When she got closer to the base of Crookedtree, she sat down, gazing up at her leader.

Spottedstar looked down upon his Clan with a steady gaze. "After speaking with not only my senior warriors, but also our former StoneClan warriors," he said, nodding to Crownest, Ivybuzzard, and the other former StoneClanners who sat amongst the crowd, "we have decided that this raid is long overdue. From what Crownest has told me, it seems that Eagleclaw is cruel and torturous." His tail lashed, and now his eyes darkened. "No Clan cat should have to live under a leader like that," he growled, and Cloudpaw saw many of her Clanmates nod their heads in agreement. "However, Crownest also said that Eagleclaw's goal from the beginning has been to increase StoneClan's population. Therefore, we can safely assume that he has added many more cats to his ranks by now; LeafClan certainly doesn't have as many cats as Eagleclaw."

The Clan was silent, obviously pondering this predicament. Cloudpaw frowned, looking at her paws as she thought. _How in the name of StarClan are we supposed to attack StoneClan and get away safely if they really do have so many more cats than us? _She was ready for a battle, sure, but this raid sounded extremely dangerous already.

"So," Spottedstar continued, lifting his chin, "numbers may not be on our side, but surprise is. StoneClan has probably been lax the past few moons, secure in their large size for protection. They won't be expecting attack." Cloudpaw felt herself nodding along with her Clanmates; it made sense.

The speckled tom's eyes narrowed seriously. "If we are to succeed, we have to be smart about this. We must strike fast, and we must strike hard. We have to be in and out of their camp before StoneClan even knows what's happening. To do this, we must be very organized." The leader's gaze was level and calm, despite the severity of the situation. "The warriors and apprentices will have different jobs during the raid," Spottedstar meowed. "I want the warriors to wait by their den, and the apprentices to wait by theirs. Crownest and I will speak to the warriors about their task, and Nightclaw and Ivybuzzard will talk to the apprentices about what they must do." With a nod at the deputy, who was sitting at the base of the tree, and a flick of his tail, Spottedstar sprang nimbly down from Crookedtree.

The crowd immediately separated, the warriors following Spottedstar, who was padding towards the warriors' den. Cloudpaw quickly trotted after her fellow apprentices to the hollow log, where they silently sat down in a semicircle. She felt a pang in her heart when she noticed that Pineblaze was plodding over to his fern patch, his expression downcast. _He must feel terrible, _Cloudpaw thought sympathetically, _not being able to fight for his Clan._

Nervousness and excitement battled for dominance in Cloudpaw's mind as she watched Nightclaw coming toward them, with Ivybuzzard, the calico StoneClan she-cat – no, the _former _StoneClan she-cat, Cloudpaw reminded herself – trailing after her.

As usual, Nightclaw wasted no time dodging around the matter at paw; she got right to the point. "All apprentices will be in this raid, except for Finchpaw," she meowed bluntly. When Finchpaw's whiskers drooped and her shoulders sagged in disappointment, Nightclaw added in a gentler tone, "You haven't been an apprentice for long; you don't have enough training for something this dangerous, young one. Besides, you get to stay at camp and defend it in case StoneClan decides on retaliating while we're still there and don't come back in time."

At this, Finchpaw straightened up a little. "Okay," she agreed, her blue eyes sweeping over camp as if already searching for signs of intruders.

_Although I hope StoneClan doesn't decide on sending a patrol here, _Cloudpaw thought worriedly. She wondered if Spottedstar had considered that as a possibility. After all, if StoneClan truly did have such a large population, Eagleclaw wouldn't mind sparing a few cats to send to the LeafClan camp to attack the remaining cats there. Considering that LeafClan would need as many cats as possible, Cloudpaw guessed that very few warriors would be staying behind. _Camp could be overrun…_ Swallowing worriedly, the white apprentice pushed away her uneasiness as Nightclaw continued.

"You're not going to like this," she growled, black tail flicking, "but you apprentices are _not _going to fight." Cloudpaw saw surprise flit across her friends' faces, as it did her own, although everyone was smart enough not to protest; they would only receive a tongue-lashing from the sharp deputy, who proceeded speaking with her amber eyes narrowed. "Your job is to find the cats in StoneClan who dislike Eagleclaw's rule and are willing to rebel." As Cloudpaw shared a confused glance with Driftpaw – _We're taking in even _more _cats? _– Nightclaw meowed, "Spottedstar has decided that anyone who doesn't want to remain under the power of such a cruel cat shouldn't have to. And now, Puddlelizard will explain to you which cats are most likely to side with us." Nightclaw stepped aside, beckoning Puddlelizard forward with her tail.

The calico she-cat's ears were flattened slightly; she obviously didn't like speaking in front of this many cats, even though they were only apprentices. She cleared her throat and mewed, "The other ex-StoneClan cats and I had a few friends that we were making plans with back when we were still with StoneClan." Puddlelizard's voice was so soft that Cloudpaw had to strain her ears to hear everything clearly. "However, with Brightdawn so close to giving birth, we felt we couldn't stay any longer, so we left very last minute. We didn't have time to get some of our other friends to flee with us." At this, Puddlelizard looked slightly guilty. _She must regret leaving her friends behind, _Cloudpaw thought.

"We did plan ahead in case a situation like this ever happened, though," Puddlelizard continued quickly, her voice a bit stronger now. "In a situation that another Clan attacked StoneClan; we figured we'd ask to leave with the rival Clan. We agreed that we wouldn't fight; we would stand to the side of camp, out of the battle. If our friends stick to that plan, then it shouldn't be hard to find them. When you enter camp, they'll probably be standing in a group, either on the left or right side of camp underneath one of the overhanging boulders." The she-cat let this sink in for a moment before meowing, "There are four apprentices; they'll most likely be with two warriors, both toms. One is a big blue-gray tabby, his name is Bluemask. And the other is gray with torn ears, that's Scorcholive. Those were the cats closest to Crownest, Ivybuzzard, and I; they'll definitely leave with us."

Puddlelizard looked a bit uncomfortable again as she said hesitantly, "These next cats will be harder to find because they weren't aware of the plan to stick to the sides of camp if a battle broke out. But they might be willing to leave. There's… there's my mother, Rippleheart, she's silver with black spots. My father Patchfur looks a lot like me, and my younger sister Quickpaw is a ginger tabby. A-and a good friend of mine, Heronfoot. He's black and white, with yellow eyes." Judging by the way Puddlelizard flushed beneath her splotchy fur, Cloudpaw guessed that this Heronfoot was more than just "a good friend."

Nightclaw addressed the apprentices again. "Do you have all that?" she rumbled, fixing them all with a hard stare. Cloudpaw ran through the names and appearances again, just to make sure she had them committed to memory, and then nodded. So did the others, and Nightclaw looked satisfied. "Good," she meowed, sounding just a bit less severe. "And remember, _do not fight. _If a cat attacks you, you can defend yourself, but get away fast so you don't get hurt. And if you must, you can help a Clanmate if they look like they need help, but other than that you must complete your task. When you find the cats you're supposed to, explain to them that they can come back with us. If they say yes, then get them out of camp as quickly as possible. Spottedstar doesn't want this battle to last long."

The deputy glanced at the sky. _It's going to be nightfall soon, _Cloudpaw realized in surprise when she saw that the sun had almost disappeared below the horizon.

Nightclaw shook out her dark fur and started to pad away, towards Spottedstar, who was still talking in hushed tones to the warriors with Crownest at his side. "Eat," she called over her shoulder, flicking her ear at the freshkill pile. "Then rest. You're going to need it." Puddlelizard quickly scurried off toward her friend Ivybuzzard, looking relieved to be done talking.

For a moment, nobody moved. Taking the initiative, Cloudpaw moved forward first and chose a vole from the freshkill pile. Lakepaw and Tinypaw trotted over soon after, and then all of the others came. They seemed to have snapped out of their frozen state.

Cloudpaw nudged Dustpaw, a vole dangling from her mouth. "Wanna share?" she purred, her voice muffled by her prey. The tom nodded, and they padded back to the hollow log together.

After settling down, the white she-cat took a small bite of the vole before pushing it over to Dustpaw. The two apprentices shared their meal in silence, although Cloudpaw couldn't help but keep looking at Dustpaw. She hated to admit it, but for a couple moons now she had started to like him…. Perhaps a bit more than a friend should.

_You can't like him like that, _she told herself firmly, as she had been for a while. _You grew up in the nursery together, you trained together. It would ruin your friendship if he found out about your feelings for him. _But whenever he was around, Cloudpaw was always drawn to his sharp wit and charming smile and light brown tabby fur and those dark amber eyes that looked like soothing honey…

With a jolt, Cloudpaw realized that those amber eyes were now trained on her. Dustpaw frowned. "Are you okay?" he asked, tipping his head slightly. "You were staring."

Cloudpaw looked away rather sheepishly, feeling embarrassment well up inside her. "Sorry," she got out. "I guess… I guess I was just…" _Think, idiot, think!_

"Worrying," Dustpaw finished for her, looking slightly concerned. "You're worried about the raid, aren't you?"

"Yes," Cloudpaw meowed, latching onto the subject, trying to cover up any last traces of embarrassment. Although it wasn't a lie; she _was_ worried about the raid on StoneClan. But who wasn't? "It's a good plan, but… something could always go wrong," she said. "I mean, if StoneClan really does have so many cats, then… some of us might not make it home tomorrow…" The apprentice trailed off as she looked around camp at the warriors, who had now broken apart and were also eating. She couldn't imagine returning from the raid the next day without some of them; now she could feel a real lump forming in her throat.

Cloudpaw felt a touch on her flank, and turned to see that Dustpaw had inched just a bit closer. Then he meowed with resolve, "I won't let anything happen to you, Cloudpaw." His eyes gleamed with confidence.

Cloudpaw sucked in a quiet breath, quickly staring down at her paws and the remains of the vole. _Did he really just say that? _she thought, feeling suddenly lightheaded. "Th-thanks," the white apprentice murmured awkwardly, feeling her pelt tingle.

Cloudpaw suddenly felt eyes on her, and turned to see Driftpaw and Finchpaw giggling behind her, shooting her amused glances. She flattened her ears in embarrassment, feeling her face heat up, but she narrowed her green eyes threateningly at the two she-cats, daring them to say something, until they finally looked away, although they continued to mutter and snigger softly. Rolling her eyes, Cloudpaw turned back to her friend.

Dustpaw's had a small, amused smile on his face; his tail-tip twitched. Cloudpaw felt extremely shy and awkward all of a sudden.

"I… it's getting late. I'm gonna go to sleep now. You know, the whole raid tomorrow and everything." Flushing with humiliation, Cloudpaw fled into the apprentices' den and curled up. _Does Dustpaw feel something for me, too? _she wondered vaguely. Then she shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. _Of course not. To him, I'm just a friend. _

She shifted restlessly as the minutes drew on; her troubling thoughts wouldn't let her drift into sleep. She stayed facing the back of the hollow log as she listened to her fellow apprentices enter and lay down in their own nests. However, she didn't hear any rustling from the nest behind her. Dustpaw's nest.

_Is he still outside? Why isn't he resting? Surely he's not mad at me for leaving so suddenly? _Letting out a tiny sigh, the white apprentice tucked her nose beneath her tail and started to drift off, with a brown tabby face and dark amber eyes flashing in her mind…

* * *

><p>The white she-cat awoke just before dawn. She could see through the crack in the hollow log that the sky was still pale gray, and there were no cats in the clearing. It was completely silent, but she didn't mind.<p>

Cloudpaw yawned quietly and then sat up. She blinked in surprise to see Dustpaw beside her; she was relieved that he had eventually come in. However, she noted that he had shifted his nest just a tiny bit closer to hers. She carefully pushed her nest away. She felt so awkward when he was that close.

_You've liked him for so long, _a voice whispered in the back of her mind. _And now when he wants to get closer to you, you push him away._ _Why? _Cloudpaw stubbornly shook her head, ignoring the thought.

Cloudpaw now smiled the littlest bit at the tabby tom; he was utterly adorable when he slept, with his paws outstretched in front of him and his mouth just slightly open. His lightly-striped fur was ruffled here and there, and very shyly, hesitantly, she leaned over and smoothed down a patch of tufty fur on the back of his neck with a few rasps of her tongue. Dustpaw shifted slightly, muttering something, but he didn't wake.

The white she-cat knew she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, not with dawn coming so soon. She carefully stood up and picked her way out of the log's entrance, trying not to trod on any stray tails lest she wake up one of her friends. Cloudpaw paused momentarily at Lakepaw and Tinypaw. The siblings were curled up close next to each other, each breathing easily, and she smiled. Cloudpaw knew that some LeafClan cats were still a bit wary of the ex-StoneClan cats, but she liked them, and thought they were settling in just fine. Just the other day, she had gone hunting with the brother and sister, and had realized that she liked Lakepaw's quiet thoughtfulness and little Tinypaw's surprising boldness and sarcasm. She hoped that they would become closer to her eventually; she would love to have them as friends. Then, Cloudpaw flicked an ear and stepped over them, continuing on her way out of the den.

Once she was standing in the clearing, Cloudpaw arched her back in a full stretch, shivering as the frosty air penetrated through her thin white fur. She was already missing Dustpaw's warmth, and she had to resist the urge to rush back into the den and press close against him and whisper everything she felt for him in his ear…

Out of the corner of her eye, Cloudpaw caught a flash of gray, and she turned to see Spottedstar emerging from his den at the other corner of camp. The leader stopped at the base of Crookedtree and began trying to groom down his ever-spiky fur. She bounded forward, smiling, and she purred when she reached him.

"Daddy!"

Spottedstar looked up from his grooming, and his blue eyes softened with warmth at the sight of his daughter. "Hello, Cloudpaw," he purred quietly, licking her ear as she settled beside him. "You're up awful early."

She nodded, rather uneasily. "Yeah," she meowed. "I was just feeling a little stressed, I suppose." Cloudpaw suppressed a shiver as she remembered her dream from last night; she had been wandering around in the mist, hearing the sounds of cats fighting all around her but not being able to see them. She had wanted to help, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find the battling cats.

Spottedstar nuzzled the top of her head. "I think everyone is stressed," he sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. Cloudpaw looked up at her father and felt sympathy well up inside her. _Being a leader must be so hard sometimes, _she thought. _I would never be able to lead cats into battle, especially knowing that some of them might not make it home._

Suddenly, there was a soft rustling as Darkfrost, Rushfoot, and Littlewing all emerged from the warriors' den, shaking out their fur. They were closely followed by Badgerpelt and Nightclaw. Spottedstar rose to his paws, meeting his deputy's gaze and giving a nod.

"Time to call the Clan together," Spottedstar quirked a smile at Cloudpaw, before nimbly springing up into one of the lower branches of Crookedtree. The white she-cat felt pride glimmer in her chest as she watched her father lift his head and yowl, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Crookedtree for a Clan meeting!"

It only took a few moments for the rest of the warriors and the apprentices to shuffle out into the clearing and huddle closely together for warmth; every cat's breath billowed out in front of him or her in small clouds in the cold air. As Cloudpaw hurried to sit beside Driftpaw, she couldn't help but think, _It feels like it's going to snow. _She lifted her face to the sky for a moment, searching for any sign of white flakes about to fall. _A snowstorm now could ruin our whole plan for a quick raid, _Cloudpaw fretted, but she was quickly pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of Spottedstar's voice.

"You all know your tasks," the leader rumbled, "and I know that you will complete these tasks to the best of your ability. I couldn't hope to lead a more loyal and dedicated Clan." His blue eyes swept across the whole crowd. "Crownest will travel at the front of the group, with me, and he will lead us to StoneClan's main entrance. We will attack directly. Foxtail, Thrushfeather, and Darkfrost will all stay behind to guard camp. Understood?" The whole Clan nodded as one, their expressions grim, although Cloudpaw noted that a few cats did look a bit excited. "Stay safe," Spottedstar murmured. Although the words were simple, the weight behind them was clear.

With a quick glance at the sky, Spottedstar added, "It's dawn. We will leave now." He jumped down from his perch and made his way across camp and out the bushy entrance, and without hesitation, Cloudpaw leaped after him. She felt a thrill of anticipation in her paws as she rushed out into the forest with her Clanmates racing along beside her and in front of her, although as the minutes passed her burst of enthusiasm subsided into anxiety once more.

Cloudpaw felt a tail-tip whisk across her ear, and she turned to see that Dustpaw had sprinted up beside her. He cracked a grin, and shyness immediately swept over her from head to toe.

"You know," he murmured, his breath tickling her ear fur as he leaned his muzzle closer, "if we do well in this battle, when we get back… we could be made warriors. I had my final assessment two days ago, and Hazelberry told me I did fantastic. This raid is all we need to prove ourselves as warriors."

Cloudpaw jerked her head away slightly. "Y-yeah, maybe," she muttered, her voice barely audible over the wind as they rushed through the forest. Dustpaw opened his mouth to say more, but Cloudpaw lowered her head and pulled ahead of him, dodging through the crowd until she was sure he was well behind her.

The apprentice settled for sticking beside her mentor, Appleflower, who gave her a friendly nod, although Cloudpaw noticed that her mentor's gold eyes, usually so full of humor and light, were dark with seriousness.

Suddenly, the cats in front of her slowed, and Cloudpaw almost crashed into Rushfoot's hindquarters. The whole group now moved at a steady trot. "We just passed the border, I think," Appleflower meowed from beside her. Cloudpaw looked down and noted with surprise that the grassy forest floor had given away to hard-packed dirt speckled with black and gray stones. _I would hate to live here, _she thought, wincing as she shook a pebble out from between her claws.

Soon, the land on either side of the group sloped upward, and suddenly high stone walls soared far above Cloudpaw's head. They were walking through a deep, wide ravine of rocks and boulders. She gulped in fear when she saw many large boulders perched precariously on the steep slopes. She could imagine them crashing down, crushing anything—or anyone— in their paths.

Lowering her gaze to just in front of her, Cloudpaw pushed away her worry and concentrated on moving silently. It was hard for such a large group of cats to be quiet when their pawsteps echoed slightly off the stone walls.

A few more minutes passed, and then the group came to a fork in the ravine. To the right, the ravine walls seemed to get even taller, but to the left, the walls sloped down into flat ground. To Cloudpaw's relief, Spottedstar and Crownest led them to the left; once out in the open, her slight claustrophobia disappeared.

But then all too soon, everyone stopped moving, and once again Cloudpaw narrowly avoided ramming into Rushfoot. Peeking over the cats in front of her, she saw that Spottedstar was standing tall so that everyone could see him. His blue gaze was calm and steady, silently rallying his Clan for the coming battle. He held up his tail—Cloudpaw held her breath—and then a heartbeat later he flicked it forward.

She charged forward, with the cats in front of her and behind her pressing close. They squeezed through a narrow entrance, with Cloudpaw shuddering slightly as they passed beneath the boulder hanging overhead, and burst into an open, circular clearing with gentle slopes rising from the far edges of the camp. Cave entrances studded the bottoms of the slopes. But Cloudpaw stopped in stunned silence, as did everyone else.

There was no one there.

No cats in the clearing. No cats in the caves. No cats lounging in the dawn light, sharing tongues and organizing into patrols, as Cloudpaw had expected. Just a fresh-kill pile in the center of the clearing, and that was it.

Confusion swept through her. Had StoneClan known they were coming, somehow? Or was their population really so large that they had moved to a different part of the territory and made camp there? Green eyes wide, Cloudpaw turned to her mentor for reassurance, but Appleflower simply shared her worried glance.

All eyes turned to Spottedstar and Crownest, who were still at the head of the group. Crownest looked just as surprised as everyone else. "I swear to StarClan, this is the right place," the black tom began. "Perhaps they moved camps-"

"No," came a sneering voice. "We didn't go anywhere." Cloudpaw looked in horror to see a pale gray tom with stark black stripes cutting through his fur; he was at the far side of the clearing, standing just at the top of the slope. Fear welled up in the white she-cat's throat when she saw the gleaming of countless eyes just behind the tom, as well from the stone slopes around the LeafClan cats.

They were surrounded.

"Eagleclaw," Spottedstar growled at the striped tom. Cloudpaw was astounded that he didn't look surprised or scared by StoneClan's sudden appearance, but she knew that he was probably trying to look strong, for his Clan.

"Hello, Spottedstar," Eagleclaw drawled, his sharp yellow eyes narrowed. "May I ask what you're doing here?"

Cloudpaw was surprised when a she-cat's voice rang out across the clearing. "You mange-pelt!" Ivybuzzard snarled, stalking forward, her fur bristling and green eyes blazing. "Don't act like you don't know why we've come. You are a _tyrant. _A _fool_. You are not worthy to be deputy of this Clan!" She was spitting with rage now. "I'm surprised StarClan hasn't struck you down with a bolt of lightning by now!"

There was complete and utter silence. Cloudpaw's eyes were wide with shock. But Ivybuzzard looked defiant and unafraid, with her chin lifted as she stared at her former deputy squarely in the face.

Eagleclaw looked a bit taken aback, but he quickly composed himself. "Hello, Ivybuzzard," he leered down at her, his gaze searching the crowd. "And Crownest, Puddlelizard…and Tinypaw… and Lakepaw… and I assume that Dapplefire and her kits and Brightdawn are at the LeafClan camp." His gaze was full of contempt. "I should have known that you traitors had fled to cowardly LeafClan." There were hisses and snarls from the ranks of StoneClan cats behind Eagleclaw.

"Care to explain how you knew we were coming?" Spottedstar asked when the noise died down. His voice was icy calm, but his eyes were flaring like twin blue flames.

"That is certainly none of your business, although if you must know, it was just a little birdie that sang to me of your plans," Eagleclaw meowed casually. Then his voice deepened to a growl. "Enough chitchat. I can see that you want a fight. Very well, then." The tom tensed, muscles rippling beneath his pelt, and he flicked his tail.

Cloudpaw was completely unprepared as the StoneClan cats flooded down the slopes and leaped down into the clearing. Suddenly, her ears were battered with shrieks and snarls as her Clanmates sprang to meet their opponents.

Cloudpaw froze for a moment as the chaos swirled around her. Then she felt a nudge at her side, and turned to see Tinypaw. Her fur was fluffed up and her blue eyes were narrowed, and she shouted over the noise, "Remember our job!"

The white she-cat nodded vigorously, snapping out of her shock. _They'll be at the sides of the camp, _Cloudpaw remembered, Puddlelizard's words coming back to her. _A blue-gray tabby… a gray tom with torn ears… Four apprentices…_

Narrowing her eyes with determination, Cloudpaw beckoned to Tinypaw with her tail before racing to the left, dodging, ducking, and leaping through the mass of screeching, writhing bodies. She glanced back every now and then to make sure the little gray tabby was following. A few times, Cloudpaw was knocked to the ground by a StoneClan cat, but she squirmed away before they could attack.

Finally, the two apprentices reached the edge of camp. Cloudpaw pressed against the small stone wall, panting. "Do you see them?" she gasped to Tinypaw.

Tinypaw looked around, then shook her head. "Let's keep moving along this wall," she meowed. Cloudpaw nodded, and they slowly moved forward, staying close to the stone wall. The white she-cat tried not to look at the fighting cats that they passed by, wincing at the sound of ripping fur and cries of pain. She caught glimpses of her Clanmates every now and then: Birchclaw and Badgerpelt fighting side by side, facing off against three StoneClan warriors, Flamefoot clawing ferociously at a black tom with a scarred face, Silverwind and Littlewing lashing out at any StoneClan cat that came near… but LeafClan was obviously outnumbered. Cloudpaw fought hard to keep from jumping into the fray and helping her Clanmates.

_The quicker we get our job done, the quicker this battle can be over, _she thought, fixing her gaze firmly in front of her. Suddenly, when she and Tinypaw were about halfway around camp, she saw them: a group of six cats, huddled beneath a wide, low-hanging boulder by the stone wall. Two of the cats were larger than the rest, and the other four were smaller, clearly apprentices.

"That's them!" Tinypaw practically squealed, slipping past Cloudpaw and racing forward to greet the cats. Cloudpaw ran after her, and she reached the group, panting. Cloudpaw peeked under the stone overhang first, catching the cats' attention, because all eyes turned to her.

A blue-gray tabby—Bluemask, Cloudpaw remember Ivybuzzard saying his name was—stepped forward from underneath the overhang, his fur bristling slightly at the sight of Cloudpaw. "Who are you?" he said in a low, rumbling tone. Then, his dark blue eyes widened in surprise when he noticed Tinypaw. "How did you get here?" he breathed, touching noses with the little she-cat.

Tinypaw smiled widely. "Hello, Bluemask," she purred. "Listen, we'll explain everything once this battle is done with; there's no time now. But LeafClan is willing to take you guys in. You're coming with us, right?" Her tone held a hopeful note.

Sharing a glance with the other cats, who were still pressed close together beneath the overhang, Bluemask nodded. "Of course," he meowed. "StoneClan is not what it used to be. A life in LeafClan would be better than this one."

"Great!" Tinypaw's tail shot up. "Just follow me and Cloudpaw. We'll go around the edge of camp and out the entrance." Just as Tinypaw turned to go, Cloudpaw placed her tail on the little tabby's shoulder.

"Wait," Cloudpaw meowed. "What about those other cats that Ivybuzzard mentioned? I need to try and find them!"

Tinypaw hesitated, looking unsure, then nodded. "Okay. But be quick. The other apprentices all have the same job we do; they may have already found those cats."

Tinypaw spun around and started to pad quickly along the stone wall once again, with Bluemask and the other StoneClanners streaming after her. Cloudpaw was surprised when the last cat to emerge from the overhang—a brown and gray she-cat with a dappled face—stopped beside her. "I'll come with you," she meowed firmly, tail lashing. "I have a friend I need to find."

Cloudpaw nodded, not wanting to waste any time with introductions. "We'll have to go into the thick of things to find these cats that Ivybuzzard told us about," the white she-cat said, glancing out worriedly to the massive group of snarling and battling cats in the middle of the clearing.

"Who were they?" the other she-cat asked, frowning.

"Heronfoot, Quickpaw, Rippleheart, and Patchfur," Cloudpaw replied, hoping that she got the names right. Then, the other apprentices' eyes lit up.

"I know them!" she exclaimed. Then her expression hardened into determination. "Just follow me. I'll tell you if I see any of them." Without waiting for an answer, she leaped into the crowd, and Cloudpaw scrambled after her.

If Cloudpaw had thought that just skirting the edges of the camp was hard, then dodging through the throng of muscular warriors with their claws and fangs flashing every which way was even harder. She struggled to keep track of the she-cat just in front of her as they threaded their way all throughout the group, all the while keeping her eyes peeled for the cats she was supposed to be looking for.

Just then, Cloudpaw caught sight of a small ginger she-cat and a flecked silver she-cat resting for a moment at the edge of the battle. Both of them were panting slightly, but they weren't fighting anyone. "I think I see Quickpaw and Rippleheart over there!" Cloudpaw shouted to the brown and gray she-cat, who nodded and yelled back, "Go talk to them! I just saw Heronfoot and Patchfur. I'll talk to them, then find my other friend, and leave."

Cloudpaw wondered vaguely who this other friend was, then nodded quickly in farewell at the she-cat and pushed her way toward Rippleheart and Quickpaw, keeping her gaze trained on them in case they decided to start fighting again and disappeared in the fray.

Finally, she reached them, sides heaving with exhaustion. All this running and leaping and ducking was wearing her down. The two she-cats were on their paws immediately, baring their teeth at her.

"Wait!" Cloudpaw wheezed, trying to catch her breath. "Your daughter Puddlelizard… s-she was wondering if… you wanted to join LeafClan with her. After this battle, if you want, you can come back to our camp with us."

The silver she-cat looked confused for a moment, and then her gaze softened slightly. "Puddlelizard… so she _did _join LeafClan."

Cloudpaw nodded, flicking her ear. "Yes. I know that she really wants to be with her family again," she pressed.

The silver she-cat looked down at the ginger tabby beside her, her eyes serious. Finally, reluctantly, Rippleheart meowed, "Quickpaw, honey, I want you to go with this cat."

Quickpaw's eyes widened. "No!" she exclaimed, fur bristling. "If I'm going, then you're coming with me, Mom!"

The she-cat shook her head. "There isn't time for this," she meowed sternly. "Please, just go. I must stay. I'll try and keep things from getting too out of paw here in StoneClan, as will your father. When it is safe again… you can come back. But right now, Quickpaw, I think you'll be safer with LeafClan."

The ginger she-cat's whiskers drooped. "I love you," Cloudpaw heard her murmur as she pressed against her mother momentarily, before pulling away and trotting over to Cloudpaw.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Cloudpaw asked.

Rippleheart nodded, smiling slightly. "I've never liked Eagleclaw, or the way he leads StoneClan," she answered quietly. "He has cruel ways. But there are other cats who are scared of him; I have to stay and protect them."

Cloudpaw nodded. "That's… that's very brave of you," she meowed softly, surprised by this she-cat's courage. Rippleheart nodded and then turned away, leaping into battle.

Cloudpaw looked over at Quickpaw, who was staring at her paws, eyes closed. "So," Cloudpaw began, "we need to get out of here. Just follow me. We'll go to the entrance and then-"

Suddenly, Quickpaw jerked up her head, her dark green eyes blazing. "This is _my _camp," she spat. "I can find my own way out. I'll wait outside the entrance for all of you _LeafClan_ cats-" she snarled the words- "to leave." Then, the ginger she-cat sprang away, racing in the direction of the entrance.

Cloudpaw sighed, and was about to start after her when a heavy weight rocketed into her flank, knocking her to the ground. The breath was knocked out of her when she landed hard on the stone. Cloudpaw stared up in fear into the eyes of a large dark gray tom with angry yellow eyes. He had one paw on her chest and another at the base of her neck; she wriggled, but couldn't free herself from his heavier weight. Terror welled up inside her.

He bared his teeth at her. "You're going to regret coming," he growled, slicing his claws over her ear. She flinched in pain and felt warm blood trickling from the wound. Then, the tom returned his paw to her throat, his claws pricking through to her skin threateningly.

Cloudpaw pushed away her fear then, and glared up at him. If she was going to die at the paws of this cat, then she would do so defiantly. She swallowed as his claws slid even deeper, and blackness threatened to cloud in, and then-

"Let her go!" a voice snarled. Cloudpaw didn't have to turn her head to know it was Dustpaw; she would know that voice anywhere.

"Make me," the tom sneered, his yellow eyes flashing mockingly.

Cloudpaw slid her gaze over to Dustpaw. His amber gaze was flashing with intense anger, and his claws were digging into the ground. "I said," he rumbled in a dangerously low tone, "Let. Her. Go." When the tom didn't budge, Dustpaw let out a deep-throated growl, his eyes narrowing. "Do it, Thunderpaw."

"It's Thunder_cloud _now," the StoneClan cat spat back, his fur bristling. "And I don't think so!" Cloudpaw felt horror race through her from head to toe as Thundercloud raised his paw, claws flashing in the sunlight, but then abruptly his weight disappeared as Dustpaw lunged at him, ramming into his flank.

Rolling over onto her side and coughing, Cloudpaw saw Dustpaw pinning the gray tom to the ground, slashing mercilessly down his stomach. When Thundercloud let out a yowl of pain, Dustpaw finally loosened his grip, and the warrior fled, leaving behind a trail of scarlet.

Dustpaw galloped back to Cloudpaw and helped to nudge her upright. "Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

Cloudpaw blinked a few times, then meowed shakily, "Y-yeah. Fine. Thanks," she added, giving him a grateful glance.

Dustpaw nodded briskly, and looked ready to spring away, when all of a sudden Spottedstar's voice rang through the air. "LeafClan! We are leaving!" The white she-cat saw the leader and a few LeafClan warriors standing by the entrance. They were panting and battered, but by no means defeated. _Spottedstar must be thinking we've gotten all the StoneClan cats we needed to get, _Cloudpaw thought, _so he's having us leave before there's any more bloodshed._

Cloudpaw and Dustpaw sprinted to the clearing. Cloudpaw shook her head as blood trickled from over her eyes from the cut on her ear. The two apprentices reached the entrance and quickly exited the camp, not stopping to look back at the StoneClan cats.

Cloudpaw sat down to the left of the entrance for a moment, feeling extremely tired, as her Clanmates raced out of the StoneClan camp, too. Spottedstar, who was standing a few tail-lengths away from her, looked around to make sure everyone was there, and then flicked his tail.

The white she-cat rose to her paws and ran after her Clanmates as they made their way back through StoneClan's territory, back into the familiar forest. As they went, Cloudpaw noticed many new cats amongst the group of LeafClan cats. She also felt a pang of worry when she saw a few cats panting heavily and leaning on other cats for support as they stumbled along. She hoped that no one was terribly injured.

It felt like hours, but finally the large group of cats reached the LeafClan camp. Cloudpaw saw Spottedstar and Nightclaw push their way through the entrance, and the others closely followed. Cloudpaw waited for everyone else to enter before she padded forward, Dustpaw still at her side. When she arrived in the clearing, her green eyes widened at the sight of so many cats there. Some were standing in a huddled group outside Rosefur's den, waiting to be treated. Spottedstar was talking with his deputy and a few senior warriors by Crookedtree, and the group of newcomers—the StoneClan cats—had formed their own small group a bit away from everyone else. Everyone was meowing about the battle, and Cloudpaw felt anxiety and confusion sweep through her.

"Well, we're home," Dustpaw murmured quietly from beside her. "What do we do now?"

"Yeah," Cloudpaw meowed softly, wondering how LeafClan's territory would be able to support so many cats in this never-ending leaf-bare, what the StoneClan cats would do, what would happen next… the white apprentice lifted her searching green gaze upwards, where the sun was now high in the sky. "What in the name of StarClan are we supposed to do?"

**Lolololol. I made Nightclaw kind of a meanie in the beginning. XD Whoops. She's really not that mean, honest. Badgerpelt wouldn't be her mate if she was.**

**Cloudpaw is a bit of a worrier, in case you hadn't noticed. But I'm a big fan of her character; I find it easy to write from her POV, so don't be surprised if you see another chapter from her POV one day.**

***gaspssss* So many new StoneClan cats! What to do, what to do? And ugh. Eagleclaw is just… he's just a dirtbag. He really is. **

**Anyways, the next chappie will be from Pine's POV, yay! It might be duller than this chapter, because it's going to be a lot of the StoneClan cats getting organized and whatnot, soooo…. Yeah. Sorry about that. But I hope I made up for my super duper lateness with this super duper long chapter! Sorry that the ending was kinda rushed, but I really just wanted to finish this. Also, I apologize for any typos... I type fast, and without looking, so typos are pretty likely.**

**Anyways, review, dearies, and get my eternal love. And cookies :3**


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